Among the Elite
by quinnarrow
Summary: A Voltron military au. The Voltron Elite Special Ops Team is a part of an underground war against the Galran Network (I suck at summaries). DISCLAIMER: I do not own any characters of Voltron: Legendary Defender. Only my own plot.
1. Elite Rumors

**Author's Notes: Hey everyone, I stumbled across some military au's for Voltron and couldn't get enough. So, here's my crack at it. I don't write much fanfiction so please be nice.**

 **This chapter is really just a set up. The trio is there to get it going and won't show up again (unless I need them). The real fun begins after. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 1: Elite Rumors**

"Wouldn't it be cool to meet the Voltron Elite Team?" Dan asked still chewing his food.

Brian rolled his eyes. "You know there is a zero percent chance of that actually happening, right? It's not like they're going to just leisurely walk around the city."

"What's the Voltron Elite Team?" The two boys snapped their heads towards their friend, eyes wider than dinner plates.

"You're kidding, right?"

Riley rolled her eyes. "Obviously not if I'm asking."

Sam placed a hand over his chest. "Seriously, how did you get into basic training without hearing about the most highly trained special ops team in the military? I'm embarrassed just to be in the same restaurant as you."

"Okay Mr. Hair Gel," Sam glared at Riley, "want to fill me in?"

Brian raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure you want to go down this road? Cause knowing Sam, we'll be here a while."

Their companion rolled her hand forward in agreement.

"You asked for it," Sam muttered before setting down his fork. "Nothing I'm about to say is confirmed. Security on any information about the team is the best in the world. Nobody knows fact from fiction. But there is one thing for certain, you'll never know when they're around.

"People say that each team member is a specialist of a certain skill set. If I had to guess, it includes at least sniping, hand-to-hand, and computer and mechanical stuff. But rumor has it that Voltron doesn't just have an incredible fields team. They have a support team back at their base working with unbelievable technology.

"They don't just do separate ops. If it's needed, the team will help with other ops, but won't show their faces. One time, a special ops team went to break into a building, but the outside perimeter was already taken care of. No one saw or heard anything, but it was pretty clear that Voltron was there. And remember Lieutenant Graff from the recruitment video? He was leading the raid of a warehouse somewhere overseas and was told Voltron was assisting them. Graff claims when he busted through the door, he saw a figure with a metal arm disappear behind some crates, but when he checked it out, no one was there. He went crazy trying to convince people that he saw one of the Voltron Elite. At this point I wouldn't be surprised to find the poor bastard in a mental institution."

"How many Voltron members do you think there are?" Riley murmured.

Brian shrugged. "Again, no one knows for sure. The most common guess is 20 with how effective they are."

A small huff of amusement came from a few tables down, drawing Riley's gaze. The stranger was hunched over his meal, long black hair hiding most of his face. He raised his head slightly, quickly glancing at the trio, revealing striking purple eyes.

Riley cocked her head in confusion. Her attention was then pulled back to her friends with a hand waving in her face.

"What, have I lost you already?" Sam pouted, crossing his arms.

Brian gave him a light shove. "I think you overestimate your story telling skills. Besides we need to hurry if we don't want to miss the movie." He squared his shoulders to Sam and gave him an extremely intimidating look. "If you make us late on one of our rare off-base breaks, I will make your life hell in ways you can't even imagine."

Sam's eyes widened in fear and began shoving food down his throat. Riley joined Brian in laughter, the stranger completely forgotten.


	2. Beginnings

**Author's Notes: Man this is a long chapter. It's mostly backstory and character establishment. I'll get into the 'enemy forces' next chapter. The only reason this is in Keith's perspective is because it was convenient. Not all chapters will be like this. Anyways, enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 2: Beginnings**

The group of friends were amusing to Keith. He knew about the rumors surrounding his team, but hearing it from others made them down right laughable. Twenty people on one team? Obviously, the trio didn't know much on how special ops worked.

Keith took a deep breath. Even though he knew no one was around, training caused him to analyze his surroundings again. It was always quiet this late at night, especially near the docks. Keith had always found a calming, almost peaceful feeling in the outdoors, cityscape or otherwise. No wonder he liked living in that small shack so long ago.

He still doesn't know if he would've been okay living in the desert for all time. Allura recruited him before he found out.

She had told the young dropout not to waste his life digging up conspiracies, but rather exposing them. _"I'm offering you a chance to be a part of something bigger than yourself. You didn't join the Garrison Pilot Program for selfish reasons."_

That wasn't entirely true. Sure, he wanted to help others, but the Garrison was a way out of a life time of abandonment. The first few months gave him a sense of belonging. It was a welcome change to Keith's life. Unfortunately, his 'discipline issues' got in the way. _"According to Commander Iverson, you were kicked out because you couldn't follow the rules. Your impulsiveness was setting a bad example for other cadets."_

Keith would never forget that day. The looks on the other cadet's faces as he was escorted off base. The whispers they didn't think he could hear. The feelings of abandonment returning with full force. It broke him more than he'd ever admit.

The memory was nearly enough to tell Allura off right then and there. Thankfully, he held his tough just long enough. _"But those so-called discipline issues are exactly why I'm here. Even though I agree you possess impulsive qualities, I can tell the difference between acting on emotion and acting on instinct."_

Allura could have stopped right then and Keith would've agreed to join. There was no need to compliment his skills with a blade or remind him of his top pilot status. It was relieving for someone to see his side of things. It still took a while for him to fully trust her and the others, but that right there… that's how it started for him.

It was close to midnight by the time Keith got back to headquarters. It didn't look like much on the outside, but the warehouse was home to the seven members of the Voltron Elite. Even at the late hour, Keith found three of his teammates relaxing in the common room.

Pidge was sitting cross-legged just in front of the couch. She was furiously typing away on her laptop barley giving Keith a second glance as he walked by. She may have been the smallest team member, but Keith found out pretty quickly not to underestimate her. The unmatched technological and hacking skills (definitely something not learned by being a cadet at the Garrison) helped keep all team files locked down. It always amazed Keith how easily she could hack into enemy systems in the field during high-risk missions. Those abilities may have drawn Allura's attention, but her training with an electrified spade/grappling hook (which Keith could never figure out how the mechanism worked) made the pint-sized warrior a force to be reckoned with.

Hunk lounged on the couch behind Pidge, reading a book. His big, intimidating looks hid a warm heart that never failed to put everyone around him at ease. Studying as an engineering student at the Garrison had made Hunk not only their mechanical expert, but also physically the strongest on the team. Only Allura can lift his hand-made grenade launcher. The heavy-duty artillery and explosives specialist prefers to be on the sidelines, but can always be counted on in the field. His loyalty to the team is at an extreme level. Something Keith always admired.

Lance was cleaning his weapon at the table. His signature sniper rifle had saved everyone's ass more times than they could count. Keith has yet to see him miss a target. When they first met, Lance's cockiness made Keith's temper flare… a lot. His constant joking during missions didn't help either. Eventually he toned it down. It's still there, but now it's much more tolerable. Over the years, the team has often relied on the sharpshooter (a self-given nickname) to assist in creating battle strategies. His eye for detail is unparalleled in Keith's mind. He'd never tell Lance that, of course.

Keith is considered an adversary in hand-to-hand combat. He's fast and precise with a blade. Add that to an expert stealth capability and Keith is a deadly force. Of course, he could easily use a hand gun, they all could, but Keith had always preferred working with a blade.

"Look who finally decided to come back," Lance smirked.

"Fuck off, Lance." It had already been a long day, Keith really didn't need any more irritation.

Lance put down the cleaning rag and folded his hands under his chin. "Awe come on Mr. Grumpy Pants. Can't I have a little fun?"

Hunk spoke up before Keith could retort. "Leave him alone, dude."

Lance whipped his head around. "Hey! Whose side are you on?"

Hunk only raised an eyebrow.

"Hunk, my man," Lance placed a hand on his own chest, "that hurts right here."

Keith rolled his eyes and trudged into the hallway, gladly leaving Lance's theatrics behind.

Even though he'd been walking around the city since sunrise, Keith wasn't tired at all. He really should go to bed anyways. Sleep was a luxury during missions and the call could come at any moment. But there hadn't been much enemy activity for the past week and Keith was getting restless. Some time on the training deck would sap his energy, right? Before coming to a decision, Coran rounded the corner, pulling Keith out of his thoughts.

Coran acted mainly as Voltron's advisor. He accompanies Allura on almost all diplomatic and military meetings. Even though he claims to go for the sole purpose of advisement, the team suspects Coran just wants to protect Allura (not that she'd ever need protecting). Since the two are the last of the Altean race, his actions are completely understandable. But that's not the extent of his job. Hunk and Pidge help, but it's Coran who keeps their headquarters in top shape at all times. Plus, he's in charge of communications during missions. How he can do all that everyday Keith will never know.

"Ah, there you are Keith," the orange-haired advisor greeted. "Enjoy your walk?"

"Yeah, it was fine."

Coran twirled his mustache. "Well, Allura would like to run something by you. She's in the briefing room." He looked down at the pad in his hands and continued his route.

"Ok, thanks," Keith called.

The automatic door opened with a slight _hiss_ as Keith entered the briefing room. Allura was standing on the left side of the large table, intensely staring at some photos. At first glance, most people don't peg Allura as a threat (Keith included). Most assumed she was all brain and no brawn, but put a staff or a whip in her hands and even the biggest enemy would turn and run. It was no wonder she was the team's commanding officer.

Keith had been expecting only Allura, but he really shouldn't be surprised to find the team's field leader there as well with his back to the door. Now _that_ is a man with one fucked up back story.

Unlike the other four, Shiro had actually graduated from the Garrison. He was Keith's mentor for a few months before being deployed overseas. Shiro's promise to come back was the only reason Keith stayed in the program for so long. Then word got out of a failed mission that left Shiro and two scientists missing. 'Pilot error' the official reports had said. It didn't take long for them to be declared 'killed in action'. That's when the discipline issues started. When Allura brought Keith to the warehouse for the first time a year later, Shiro was the last person he expected to see. Yet, low and behold, there he was. Except the young gifted pilot that went missing wasn't the same warrior that came back. His face now holds a deep scar across his nose and the once black bangs of his hair are now pure white. But the most prominent change was the prosthetic replacement of his right arm that was a weapon itself. Apparently, Shiro's crew was captured by an enemy force. He doesn't remember much from then, mostly just bits and pieces. Keith can't decide if that's a good thing or bad.

Allura lifted her head, giving a slightly annoyed look. "Ah, there you are Keith."

"Sorry. I was walking around the city," he replied. A lecture was most likely in his near future, but Keith wasn't in the mood right now. "Coran said you wanted to see me?"

By this time, Shiro had turned around, but had quickly dropped his gaze. "We gathered intel on something and wanted to know if you could see anything we can't."

In other words, 'use your heritage to confirm our suspicions'. A sigh passed Keith's lips and he walked up to the table. Allure silently slid three photos of the same man toward him.

Unfortunately, he did see it, just above the collar of the man's shirt. The same mark that can only be seen by those with blood ties to that wretched race. The same mark of the people responsible for Shiro's capture. The same mark permanently etched on Keith's right ankle.

He looked at his two commanding officers with a tired expression. "It's there. The Galran Mark is there."


	3. Getting to Work

**Author's Notes: Wow, the response to this story is unbelievable. You make me smile like a lunatic. Here's the next chapter as my thanks. I didn't want to make it too long (even though I wanted to continue), but no worries. This story is far from over. Enjoy :)**

* * *

 **Chapter 3: Getting to Work**

"All right team, listen up," Shiro called. The chatter filling the briefing room immediately ceased as four sets of eyes turned to the holo-screen. "We've received intel that the Druid Sector of the Galran Network have been developing a secret project. Our mission is to find out what this project is and, if necessary, sabotage it."

Lance, with feet on the table, cleared his throat. "So, if this project is so important, why haven't we heard about it before?"

"The intel came from the Marmorites."

Ah, the infamous group of Galra rebels and Voltrons only allies in this messed up underground war. The leader of the Marmorites, Kolivan, claims he has undercover operatives within the Galran hierarchy. Unfortunately, they have refused to tell the team who their operatives are.

"They haven't been able to get someone inside the Druid Sector and word about the project has come out only recently," the team leader explained.

"How do you know we can trust this?" Hunk questioned. Next to Shiro, Allura, not being a fan of the rebels, let out an annoyed sigh that did not go unnoticed by the team.

Shiro leaned forward in his chair. "They haven't misguided us yet. Plus, the target they pointed us to is part of the Galran race. Keith confirmed last night."

"And who," Pidge injected, "exactly is the target?"

Allura waved her hand, activating the holo-screen. A photo of a man came into view. "This is Raht Arksin. Like Shiro said, he's Galra and has recently been spotted meeting with the Network's head scientist, Haggar. We believe he's a part of the secret project."

"So, a simple 'grab, go, and interrogate' type thing?" Keith asked.

Allura shook her head. "Unfortunately, it's not that simple."

Keith huffed and folded his arms. "It never is," he grumbled.

"Arksin is too high in the ranks to go missing for more than a day. For this mission, we need to be more… subtle." She swiped her hand in the air and the image of an invitation appeared. "This is our way in."

It was addressed to Allura Parrish. She was invited to the Annual Military Ball for the base here in the city. Being a diplomat and one of the last living Alteans, Allura was always being invited to military events all over the country.

"I told the organizers I could not attend myself, but would send a representative in my place. Pidge, you will fill this role as Kara Woods," she declared.

The hacker straightened in her chair immediately, disbelief written all over her face. "What? Why me?"

Allura offered an apologetic smile. "Arksin is a computer scientist who graduated from MIT. Your common knowledge will give you a reason to talk with him about his work."

Pidge slummed back down, but didn't argue.

"And you won't be alone. You'll be escorted by your close friend, Adam Hartley." She turned to the resident sniper. "Lance, your job is to keep any suspicion from Pidge and Arksin while they talk."

He smirked. "Being the center of attention is my specialty."

"Nothing big," the Altean warned, "just distract anyone who tries to interrupt."

"As for the rest of us," Shiro took over, "we're ease dropping on the entire party. Arksin won't be the only Galra there and we need to gather any and all information we can. Hunk, you'll be posing as one of the bartenders and me a waiter." He turned to Pidge. "Can you hack into the employee roster and add us in?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Did you really just ask that?"

Shiro chuckled. "Understood. Keith, your backup. Once we get to the party, disappear and call out anything that might blow our cover.

"I owe you for not making me wear a suit and tie."

Allura stood up. "This mission is immensely important. The details will be discussed over the next two days before the ball. Any questions?"

Silence.

"Good. Dismissed."

* * *

"Are you sure I look okay?" Pidge asked for the fifth time.

Lance turned toward his teammate. It was hard to see in the back of the limo, but the city lights passing by made it doable. Pidge was wearing a floor length gown, the green silk complimenting her pale skin. A white shawl was wrapped tightly around her shoulders, hiding the source of discomfort. It took Allura nearly ten hours to convince Pidge to wear a halter with such a low V-cut. Her short, brown hair was styled with soft waves and her make-up was near perfection. It was weird seeing Pidge like this, but Lance couldn't deny Allura's work.

"You look great Kara. Just relax. The party will be over before you know it."

"Easy for you to say, Adam. You actually _like_ attending these things." She frowned and stared out the window.

Lance really couldn't argue. He loved any chance of dressing up and showing off. Tonight, he wore mostly black; black shoes, black socks, black pants, black jacket, black tie. The only pop of color was the handkerchief sticking out of the jacket's front pocket, matching the dark blue color of his collared shirt. Luckily the team's ear pieces were basically invisible so Lance could slick back his hair.

After affirming his looks were in order, Lance joined Pidge in people-watching. They passed in a blur of movement under the artificial light. Some strolling alone, some laughing, some kissing, completely unaware of the danger lurking beneath the surface.

All Galra were believed to be exterminated many decades ago (a fact only Voltron and the Marmorites know to be false). The mass genocide was to prevent an outbreak of tyranny, but Zarkon was able to hide most of his people. Ever so slowly they've been recovering in the shadows, planning and waiting with incredible patience. Now the Galran Network has secret influence or total control of over eighty percent of the world's governments.

That was Voltron's mission: to pry the world from Zarkon's grip. The team had tried publicly exposing them and failed on multiple occasions. So Voltron followed the network's example and disappeared into the shadows. Using a combination of brute force and cunning strategy, Voltron has been slowly pushing back; disrupting supply routes and targeting key places like the countries of Balmera and Olkarion (both now free of any Galra influence). Zarkon has hunted the team to the ends of the Earth and always came up short. Some extremely close calls constantly remind everyone that one mistake could be the end of it all.

"Blue, Green, this is a comms check. Do you copy?"

"Loud and clear Silver. We're about a minute from the hotel," Pidge responded.

"Is everyone in position?"

"Affirmative Blue." Lance rolled his eyes at Allura's formality. "The target is set to arrive shortly after you, so be prepared."

"Copy that."

The pair settled into silence as the limo pulled in front of the Krell Pearl Hotel. It's a massive building with polished walls that seemed to shimmer an array of colors (kind of like a pearl). The stair case leading to the main entrance was covered with red carpet with employees in matching uniforms lining the edges. Men in polished suits or military uniforms and women in skittle-colored dresses were rushing inside. A waiting employee opened the limo door, allowing the operatives to join the other party-goers in their hurrying.

Another employee, probably a security guard considering his buff figure, guarded the main ballroom. "Names?"

Lance flashed him an unnecessary smile. "Kara Woods and Adam Hartley. Representatives of Allura Parrish."

The man looked at his clipboard and located the fake names. He stepped aside, "Enjoy the ball."

The ginormous room was already bustling with activity. Soft music was being played by a string quartet in the far corner. Most people were standing or sitting at various tables while others occupied the dance floor underneath the impressive looking chandelier.

"I've got eyes on Blue and Green."

"Copy Red," Allura uttered. "Let us know when the target arrives."

Keith was probably hiding in the rafters with a birds-eye view of the whole room. Lance had to resist the urge to look up. Instead, he offered his arm to Pidge who had finally let her shawl fall into it's proper place. The dress really did look good on her. "Let's get a drink."

She smiled gratefully and hook her arm through his. "That's the best suggestion I've heard all day."

The bar was about half full. Three people were serving drinks at lightning speed. Hunk, having no problems keeping up, was pouring a freshly shaken cocktail into a glass and chatting away with his customers.

He greeted his teammates as they walked up to the high counter top. "Hello, what can I get you?"

"I'll take a Manhattan," Pidge ordered. "Adam?"

"Just an Old Fashion for me."

Hunk smiled and set to work. "Coming right up."

The drinks were done in no time flat. If the secret operative thing didn't work out, Hunk would make a killing as a bartender. Lance placed a few dollars in the tip jar.

"Thank you," he said. "If you need anything else, my name's Steve."

They nodded and walked away, drinks in hand. After claiming a table, Lance glanced around, locating exits and possible blind spots. Across the room, Shiro was offering hors d'oeuvres to a group of young military personnel. Thankfully, his waiter uniform included white gloves to hide his prosthetic. His scar was also hidden with makeup and his white bangs were slicked back.

"I'm going to mingle with some of the ladies," Lance told his partner.

She rolled her eyes. It wasn't the best excuse, but Pidge needed to be alone when Arksin arrived. It would make Pidge's approach much more believable. Lance strolled to the opposite end of the room, grabbing a snack from Shiro's tray as he passed by.

He was about to ask a lonely looking damsel for a dance when Keith came over the comms. "The target is in sight. He's coming to you Gold." The sharpshooter risked a glance over his shoulder. Pidge had situated herself back at the bar trying to look as lonely as possible, Arksin headed that way.

 _Fingers crossed_ he thought.

* * *

It had taken Pidge only two songs to get into deep conversation with Arksin. Hunk trusted Pidge to get the information, so he didn't pay them much attention. He was mostly trying to ignore the growing ache in his feet by conversing with other people at the bar.

"Gold, do you copy?" The call was from the team's living shadow.

Hunk placed an order in front of a woman conveniently wearing a bright red dress. "That shade of _Red_ looks really good on you."

"Understood. See the man at the end of the bar?" Keith asked.

The woman blushed at the compliment. "You really think so?"

"Yes, I do." Hunk smiled. Thankfully both questions required the same answer.

"He has the Galran Mark on the back of his hand," Keith informed. "Start a conversation with him. See what he knows."

Unfortunately, it wasn't much. The man's uniform suggested he had just finished basic training, but Hunk talked to him anyways. The conversation had somehow drifted to favorite ice cream flavors when Shiro's voice came over the comms.

"Shit."

"You okay Black?" That was from Lance. Hunk quickly spotted him sitting alone at a table near the band, hand covering his mouth.

"Red," Shiro commanded, "find me an exit now."

"Why do you... shit, on it."

Allura's worried voice came next. "Black, what's wrong?"

Nothing.

It wasn't like Shiro not to answer his team's calls. Hunk grabbed some empty glasses and scanned the room. Shiro's tuft of white hair was spotted moments later. He was moving away from the ball room's entrance, trying to keep his head down.

"Get to the kitchen. There's a back door that leads into a hallway. Turn left, the exit will be the last door on your right." Shiro immediately headed towards the kitchen door as Keith instructed. Weaving his way through the crowd in a way to not draw attention, he quickly disappeared through the double doors leading to his escape.

"Orange and I have scrambled the cameras in the hallway, but it will only last for another minute. Red, what is going on?" Allura demanded.

The glass in Hunk's hand nearly mimicked the drop of his stomach at his answer.

"Haggar's here."


	4. What's Next?

**Author's Notes: OMG! The response to the last chapter was unbelievable! *swoons* Anyways, I was reading through this chapter and something occurred to me on how I'm writing some character interactions. Just putting this out there: I do not plan on adding any ships to this story. Everyone is like one big family.**

 **To be honest, this chapter was kind of hard to write. It's not the best chapter so far, but it's necessary. Also, I know that it doesn't really have any action, but don't worry! The next chapter will definitely pick up the pace.**

 **As always, enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 4: What's Next?**

"I'm out. Heading back to base." The Alteans sighed in relief at Shiro's declaration.

"Good, you know the protocols," Allura reminded. "We'll be on the Bridge when you get back. Be careful."

She could almost picture the smile on his face. "I will."

After muting the coms, Allura turned to her companion. He was furiously scrolling through the party's guest list.

"Coran." He looked up, eyes wide. Allura tried to keep a neutral face for his sake. "Any ideas why Haggar is there? Was she on the guest list?"

"No, she wasn't, not even a known alias. Raht was the highest ranking Galra invited." Coran looked at his feet. "I'm sorry."

She placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's not your fault. Shiro got out alright. That's what matters." He gave a thankful smile.

Allura unmuted the coms. "Blue, can you get close enough to ease drop?"

"Negative. She's surrounded by guards."

Keith confirmed from his hiding spot.

"Alright, stick to the plan," she ordered. "The party ends in one hour." Hopefully that's enough time for Pidge to get what they need.

* * *

Thankfully, the scare with Shiro was the most exciting thing to happen at the party. Haggar didn't stay long and the team was able to avoid her completely. Unfortunately, the relatively smooth execution of the plan wasn't enough to calm Pidge's nerves.

She tried, with little success, to process the conversation with Arksin during the walk back to base. Well, Lance walked. Pidge clung to him for a piggy-back ride, the extremely uncomfortable heels dangling from her hands. Lance chatted about nonsense the entire time, not once asking about the mission. He knew as well as she not to discuss those subjects out in the open. That didn't stop Pidge's endless thoughts.

They were mostly of her family. She would do anything to see them again and would never stop looking. The day she learned of their disappearance will never be forgotten. " _The Kerberos Research Mission is missing and all crew members are believed to be dead. The official report says the helicopter crash was presumably caused by pilot error. It is, indeed, a sad day for all humanity."_ Except, that wasn't what happened. Her father and brother, Sam and Matt Holt, were commencing biological research overseas when the Galran Network captured them along with Shiro. After his escape, the team leader revealed that the scientists were sent to a hidden work camp while he fought in the gladiator arena. Shiro was also Haggar's personal lab rat, hence the need to leave the mission in order not to be recognized.

"You okay?"

Pidge lifted her head as her mind came to a screeching halt. Lance had finally stopped talking long enough to notice the lack of an audience. He looked at her with concern out of the corner of his eye.

"Yeah. I'm fine," she lied. Dealing with Galra like that always put the young hacker in a sour mood.

"You sure?" he continued. "You've been really quiet since we left the party. Even more than usual after these sort of things."

She sighed. "I said I'm fine. Just… I'm just trying to figure things out."

He nodded his head in understanding and dropped the subject. Pidge gently tightened her arms around Lance's neck in gratitude.

"So, am I carrying you all the way to the briefing room or…."

"What?" Pidge looked around. When did they get back to the warehouse? Lance had stopped just inside the front door, waiting for an answer. "Oh, um, no. I can walk. I want out of this damn dress first."

He set her down with a soft _thud_. "Alright. See you there."

* * *

Half an hour later, Hunk plopped down in his chair with exhaustion. He was the last to arrive in the briefing room. "Sorry, I had to help clean up the bar."

"That's quite alright, Hunk. We haven't started yet." Allura turned to Pidge whose glasses reflected her laptop screen. "Pidge." The operative started and looked up. "What did you learn?"

Pidge closed her laptop and sighed. "Nothing good. You were right about Arksin being part of a secret project. It's, uh… It's…" She placed her chin on clasp hands, brows pulled together in thought. "It's hard to explain really."

"How so?"

"Well, some of the stuff he talked about didn't make a lot of sense."

Allura gave a reassuring smile. "Just go from the beginning."

"Okay. Well, for starters, it's a machine. They call it the Komar. Arksin explained the mechanics, but the main concept is pretty simple." She brought up the holo-screen and drew a rough sketch of the device. "Four energy beams are focused through a large crystal from Balmera. The combined beams are then directed and extract something called quintessence. He claims it works on any living thing, including people. Once the quintessence is drained, it's converted into a usable fuel source. Its… frighteningly elegant."

Hunk, thoroughly impressed, raised his eyebrows. "And Arksin just told you all this?"

She shrugged. "Pretty much. Although he did clam up when Haggar arrived."

"Unbelievable," he sighed, shaking his head. "How you managed that, I will never know?"

"I have my ways."

"Alright," Shiro interrupted. "Let's get back on topic." He turned to Allura and frowned in confusion. She was staring at Coran with wide eyes obviously having a silent conversation. The others quickly took notice.

"Allura?" Lance asked.

Coran gave a barely-noticeable nod of encouragement, receiving Allura's sigh in response. She finally turned back to five extremely confused expressions.

"The secrets of quintessence were believed to be lost along with my people. My father believed that such knowledge could cause another world war. He claimed it to be sacred Altean knowledge and in doing so, kept it within our race. Apparently, it didn't work."

"So," Keith inquired, "what exactly is this quint- whatever?"

The advisor stepped from his spot by the wall to the table. He took Allura's lack of protest as permission to explain. "It's the substance with the highest known energy per unit volume in the world. Quintessence is in every living thing; plants, animals and, of course, people. It's a bit complicated, but think of it like energy or something's life force. Every race on the planet have different amounts. Alteans and Galrans have relatively high concentrations while Terrans, like yourselves, have lower concentrations. Altean alchemists studied the substance for years. They found that draining quintessence from anything will weaken it then, eventually, kill it."

"If this new machine does just that, this mission just got a whole lot harder," Lance complained.

Shiro furrowed his brow together. "The stakes have been raised, but the mission stays the same. We need to find the Komar and destroy it as soon as possible."

"Okay," Hunk murmured thoughtfully, "how are we supposed to do that? If the Marmorites haven't been able to get any information about it, locating it won't be easy."

Silence filled the room like a dense fog, every mind searching for an answer.

"Wait," Lance perked up and whipped his head around. "Pidge, didn't you say the quintessence has to be converted to usable fuel?"

She nodded in affirmation. "Yeah, that's what Arksin said."

"Okay, so, with the Network being all over the world, it probably requires a lot of fuel. A large demand means lots of refineries, right?"

"Yeah," Hunk gave a questioning look. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. "I mean, it makes sense. But I don't see how that helps."

Lance smiled, practically jumping out of his seat with excitement. "Well, my dear friend, finding a refinery will be a whole lot easier than finding the Komar itself. What if we work our way backwards: infiltrate a refinery and find out where the quintessence is coming from."

"By back tracing the supply routes to the source!" Pidge finished. "That's genius!"

Keith looked genuinely perplexed. "That… isn't a bad idea."

Lance leaned back with a smug grin. "Wow. The great Keith just complimented someone who wasn't Shiro. Consider me impressed."

Everyone laughed at Keith's signature death glare.

* * *

Shiro turned to lay on his side for what seemed like the hundredth time. _2:38 am_ stared back at him from the nightstand with unrelenting blue light. Those numbers always indicated how little sleep he actually got. Shiro used to be, as Matt had once described, the epitome of a 'hangover minus the alcohol' without a full eight hours. That's just one of the many things being a prisoner had changed.

He sat up giving up on sleep. It didn't take long to start staring at the prosthetic. Shiro doesn't remember the exact circumstance that caused the need for a replacement, but Haggar, without a doubt, was involved. Seeing her at the ball allowed some buried unpleasant feelings to bubble to the surface. Her dark silk robes and small stature hid the appalling things she was truly capable of; things Shiro experienced first-hand.

By the time he got back to base after the mission, the panic that had anchored in his chest had mostly subsided. He was feeling almost normal when Pidge mentioned quintessence. Shiro knew his breath hitched, panic strengthening its grip once more. Something about the substance seemed… familiar. Everything in his mind was screaming ' _Danger! Danger! Stay away!'_. The mere utterance of it put him on edge. Its times like these Shiro wishes to remember. Even the smallest thing to help end the war would be enough. But he doesn't. It's like a claw machine dropping a prize at the last minute.

Shaking his head to clear away the thoughts, Shiro stood and exited his room. Dim blue lights flickered on with his movement. Everyone should be asleep right now. Except maybe Coran. Shiro swears the man runs on less than two hours a night. He strolled by the common room, the door wide open. Pidge was fast asleep on the couch, laptop shining bright in her lap. Shiro chuckled to himself. He gently closed the computer and placed it on the table. After covering the hacker with a blanket and removing her crooked glasses, he wandered his way to the kitchen. To say he was surprised to find someone already there would be an exaggeration. There was rarely a night that the kitchen wasn't visited (mostly to sneak a bite of Hunk's cooking).

"Hey Allura," he greeted.

"Hello." She was sitting at the counter looking at a tablet. By no means were her looks unflattering, but it was weird seeing the Altean so unpolished. Her silver hair was pulled back into what used to be a tight pony tail. The gray sweatshirt and pants complimented her dark skin.

Shiro got a cup from the cupboard, filled it with water, and sat opposite of Allura. "What are you looking at?"

"I'm going through my father's old files to see if there is a way to track quintessence."

"Guessing you're not having any luck?"

She huffed and finally looked up. "Unfortunately, no. My father logged everything he came across. It would take years to go through it all."

He gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry about it too much. Lance's plan is solid."

Allura nodded in agreement. The quiet that filled the room was comfortable. Guess being a strong team for years has that effect.

The down side was the Shiro had lost his nerve to ask about quintessence. Sacred Altean knowledge was… well, sacred. He had to respect that.

During his mind wandering, Allura had returned to scroll through endless files. He knew that she would stay up for the rest of the night searching. With a quick swipe of his hand, Shiro grabbed the tablet and stashed it behind his back.

Allura jumped at the movement, shooting a look of annoyance and confusion. She crossed her arms. "What was that for?"

"You should get some sleep."

She eyed him wearily. "I could say the same to you."

"Fair enough," he chuckled. "But seriously, you really should go to bed."

"I will if you will."

"Deal"

He returned the tablet and the pair walked out. Shiro would try to sleep again, but he knew he'd stare at the ceiling until morning.


	5. Infiltration

**Author's Notes: Woah. Can't believe there's an update in less than a week. Now we're getting into the exciting part of the story and I really enjoyed writing this chapter (hence why I finished so quickly). Just an FYI, I'm not sure when I'll be able to update again, but it shouldn't be more than a couple of weeks.**

 **Thanks again to all who have read and reviewed my story. Enjoy :)**

* * *

 **Chapter 5: Infiltration**

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you Ms. Parrish."

"You as well Commander. Please, call me Allura." It took every ounce of energy not to cringe as she shook the Galran's hand. A freshly pressed uniform covering a tall frame matched the bland nature of the office perfectly.

"Allura," he corrected. After gesturing Allura to a seat, he positioned himself on the other side of the desk. "I have to say I'm quite curious as to why you requested a meeting."

The Altean produced a folded piece of paper and placed it on the desk. "These are the numbers identifying some files. I am requesting a copy of each."

"I see." He grabbed the paper and studied the numbers. It took several moments before the Commander continued. "Surely contacting someone lower down the chain would've been easier than contacting me."

"Normally, yes, but the files I need can only be accessed by the Chair of Internal Affairs. Last I checked, you are currently filling that role."

"And you need this information for what reason?"

"With all due respect Sir, I cannot disclose my reasons at the time. But rest assured, they are noble." Well, let's hope her bull shit excuse (or lack thereof) is enough.

The Commander leaned back in his chair, clearly pondering the answer. "Under different circumstances, I would be inclined to abstain your request. However, I will comply."

Allura beamed a smile at him (with great effort). She hadn't noticed the breath being held. That's one issue down, now all he has to do is…

"If you don't mind waiting here, I will get the files."

Bingo. The Commander left the room, softly closing the door behind him. Allura immediately sprung into action. She pulled a flash drive out of her pocket and jammed it into the back of the computer sitting on the desk.

"You're good Green," she whispered into the coms. "Hurry though, I don't know how long he'll be gone."

"On it," Pidge responded.

Time seemed to slow down as the anticipation started to build. With no windows in the office, Allura listened for any signs of the Commander's return.

She was so focused she nearly missed Pidge declaring, "I'm in. Starting the download."

"How much longer?"

"Just a few more ticks and…"

There it was. The Commander's voice could be heard on the other side of the wooden door. Obviously, he was speaking to someone else. The knob began turning slowly.

"Done!"

Allura ripped the drive from its port and shoved it back in her pocket, returning to her seat in the process.

The door swung open and the Commander stepped inside. "I've arranged the files to be sent to you within the next twenty-four hours. I hope that is alright."

"That will work. Thank you."

A woman appeared in the doorway, slightly out of breath. "Commander Thace, the car is waiting for you."

"Thank you Amber." He returned his gaze to Allura. "I must go, but I hope you find what you're looking for."

They shook hands once more. "I appreciate your help."

Thace nodded and the pair went their separate ways.

* * *

"I'm in position."

"Copy Blue. Remember, only…"

"Yeah yeah. 'Only fire if absolutely necessary' I know Black. Besides, Red's the one you have to worry about."

"Fuck off."

"Alright, knock it off you two. Blue, are we clear to move?"

Lance settled into the familiar stance on his stomach and looked through the sniper rifle's scope. Being on a hill on the far side of the compound offered a full view of the area. Unfortunately, the Command Center (the intended target) was on the opposite side sitting high on a platform. Two warehouses and a large maze of shipping containers sat in between. Some of the containers were being unloaded off a large cargo ship sitting at the dock.

His four teammates were pressed against the back wall of one of the warehouses, weapons ready. Keith, with a dagger in each hand, was taking the lead. Directly behind, Pidge had her weird spade thing and Hunk had a simple hand gun. His usual grenade launcher was too bulky during stealth missions. Shiro occupied the rear. His right arm was inactive, but ready to strike if necessary. Most of the compound's workers were concentrated near the water, but patrols were still wandering the entire area.

"You're clear. You've got thirty ticks to get to the next checkpoint," he instructed (he really hated the team's weird Altean timing system). Without another word, the team rounded the corner of the building and sprinted towards the first shipping container. Lance spotted the next patrol walking along the fence. The two workers (probably Galran) stepped into the opening just as the team got to the pre-planned hiding spot, completely away from Lance's sight line.

"Made it to the checkpoint," Hunk affirmed.

"Good work," Allura praised through the coms. "Remember to keep Blue updated on your progress. He won't be able to see you until you reach the Command Center."

Lance huffed in agreement. "Have I mentioned how much I hate blind spots? They're everywhere around here."

"Only about a hundred times in the last hour," Pidge complained.

He didn't grace her with a retort. Mostly because he couldn't think of one. Lance knew the next few minutes would be an excruciating wait. He trusted his team to get through without being detected, but it offered little comfort. Not being able to do anything for the mission never sat well with the sniper, so talking seemed like the next best thing.

"Hey Orange, what's the name of the company that owns this place again?"

"According to the information from Thace's computer," the advisor began, "This particular port is part of Algar Private Shipping Co."

"And that's just a front for the Galran Network?"

"Yes. Along with being the largest private shipping hub in Tanzania, it's also a refueling station. Quite a valuable operation."

"Didn't you pay attention during the briefing," Allura scolded.

He opened his mouth to respond, but thankfully Shiro offered refuge from any embarrassment. "We've made it to the final checkpoint and are ready to approach the Command Center. How are we looking Blue?"

Lance resisted the urge to make a joke and scanned the far side of the port. A patrol had just walked by the target building, leaving a nice hole in their defenses.

"Clear. From what I can see, the Command Center is empty, but can't know for sure."

"Copy that. You know what to do Red," Shiro reminded. "Green, Gold lets go."

Shiro appeared from the shadows with Pidge and Hunk in tow. They sprinted up the stair case of the raised platform in mere seconds. Lance had a hard time following their movements through his scope. After gathering by the building's door, the trio slipped inside without a sound (at least from what Lance could tell being this far away).

A faint flash of purple light shone through the windows. The sound of scuffling, quickly followed by a _thud_ , came over the coms.

"Nice one Gold," Shiro complimented. Guess someone was inside after all.

Keith was tasked to stay outside and look for anyone with the intent of entering the Command Center. Things were silent for a while until…

"Uh, dammit."

Lance immediately went on alert. "What's wrong Red?"

"Nothing," he growled. "My glove got caught on a container and ripped."

Relaxing slightly, Lance couldn't pass up the opportunity to mock Keith. "Oh no! Not the famous fingerless gloves! How will we survive now?"

He could hear Keith's annoyance as clear as day. "Aren't you supposed to be watching our backs?"

"I'm multitasking. Besides, you're the only one who wears them all the time. The rest of us only wear them on missions."

"Eh hem," Pidge coughed.

"Right, except for Green who, and I quote, 'will never touch such useless pieces of fabric'," Lance added.

"Speaking of Green," Hunk interrupted, "how much longer are you going to be?"

"Yeah," Lance injected, "aren't you normally done by now?"

Pidge let out a long sigh that dripped with annoyance. "Yeah, well everything in here is Galra tech, so Gold had to hook up Black's arm to get access. I'm almost done."

"Good." Keith whispered (that was never a good sign). "I've got three Galra headed your way."

Lance searched the area and spotted Keith peering around a corner. He was looking at the backs of the Galrans walking between containers. Luckily, they were on a route Lance could follow. Unluckily, that route had a direct sight line to the Command Center. Shiro, Hunk, and Pidge wouldn't be able to leave without being spotted.

* * *

Keith peeked around the container he was hiding behind.

He noticed the assault rifles being carried by two of the Galrans right away. They were dressed to the tee in body armor and extra ammunition. The third, placed in the middle, was wearing a simple, well-tailored suit, but Keith guessed he had a bullet-proof vest underneath.

His first instinct was to sneak up behind the group and end them quickly. His second instinct was to tell Lance to shoot them. The only reason Keith didn't voice this was because of Shiro. It's not like they haven't killed before, but during the many years on the team, Shiro had somehow hardwired the idea to only kill when necessary. Everyone figured it came from his time in the gladiator arena, so no one really argued about it. With those options currently out the window, Keith was out of ideas.

"There's two heavily armed guards escorting a guy in a suit," he reported. "You guys can't get out without being seen."

A knot started to form in his stomach. Keith could get out right now just fine, but there was no way he was leaving the others behind. Everyone knew the risks of fighting the Network. It was a dangerous job that offered no backup in situations like this.

Luckily, backup wasn't needed right now.

"Blue, how many shots can you make before you have to move?" Shiro asked.

"Uh, not many if they're one right after the other. Why?"

"Send a couple around the group Red's tracking," Shiro started, "and we can slip out of the Command Center when they take cover."

"Won't that set off the alarms?" Hunk questioned.

"Green can hack them," Lance stated.

A brief feeling a hope started filling Keith's chest. The moment passed when Pidge pointed out the obvious. "I can, but it won't do any good. Patrols will hear the shots and panic with or without the alarms."

Keith thought for a moment. Every patrol would converge towards the three Galrans (and the team's location). But if… "Wait. Blue can shoot randomly and create confusion. It will slow the patrols down long enough for us to get back to the entry point."

"It's a plan," Shiro declared. "Move when you need to Blue, but keep us posted when you do. Once we're out, meet at the rendezvous point."

"Copy. Ready when you are."

Allura, who had been strangely quiet, proclaimed, "The plane is ready to depart as soon as you arrive at the airport. Be safe."

This is what made the Voltron Elite Team so effective. Being able to make a feasible plan on the spot, adapting, is how the team has survived for so long. It wasn't always like that though. Sometimes Keith is amazed by how far they've come.

A familiar sense of calm determination slowly unraveled the knot in his stomach as Shiro announced that Pidge was done and started the count down.

"Three. Two. One. Now!"


	6. Moving Shadows

**Author's Notes: Finally a new chapter. While writing this I made a discovery: writing action is hard. I'm not a regular writer so, it's not the best out there, but whatever. This chapter is shorter than the others, but the next one should make up for it.**

 **Unfortunately, my schedule is filling quickly; meaning updates will be coming slower for the time being. But in no way, shape or form am I abandoning this story.**

 **As always, enjoy :)**

* * *

 **Chapter 6: Moving Shadows**

The unmistakable sound of two gunshots rang through the night.

Hunk peaked through a window as dirt flew up at the first bullet's impact to the right of the three Galrans. Not two ticks later, the second bullet sparked against a container on the opposite side and ricocheted to some unknown location.

The effect was immediate. One of the guards grabbed the guy in the suit by the collar and practically dragged him behind a container. The other swept the area with his rifle looking for the unseen threat. After one rotation, he yelled into his radio and joined the others. An extremely loud alarm sounded per the guard's warning. Another tick passed before Lance gave the all clear. Shiro quickly opened the door and darted out, Pidge close behind. Hunk pushed the door closed and ran after his teammates. The stairs would take too long, so the trio, without saying a word, jumped off the platform.

Shiro, being the badass he is, used his momentum to push off the railing with his right foot and fly through the air. He tucked and rolled as he reached the ground and rushed away. Pidge shot her grappling hook into the overhang of the building's roof and lowered herself down. Hunk placed a hand on the railing and vaulted his body up and over, landing in a crouch. Pidge's slower method allowed Hunk to catch up and the pair raced after their leader.

They found him crouched low to the ground, peering around the corner. His left hand was held up in a fist signaling to hold position. Hunk drew his pistol from the leg holster and squatted behind Shiro. Pidge followed suit. It felt like forever (it was probably only a few ticks) before Shiro, without turning back, held up two fingers. That meant two people were in the trio's way. Hunk reached out and lightly squeezed his shoulder in acknowledgement. With the alarms blaring, they could probably talk without being heard, but hand signals were easier and faster.

Another shot from Lance echoed through the compound. The impact was nowhere near them. He was probably either slowing down patrols or helping Keith. But apparently it didn't matter, because instantly Shiro raised his hand again to hold up three fingers, then two, then one. Pidge and Hunk followed Shiro in a low, crouch-like run through the small opening between the containers. Hunk peeked down the now-empty clearing and spotted the barrel of a rifle extending pass the hiding spot of a Galra seeking shelter from the unknown shooter.

And that's how it went. Stopping, hiding, waiting, running, hiding again. It was a simple, effective method engrained into everyone's muscle memory. Hunk, being in the rear, kept an eye out for any signs they've been spotted. Stealth was never his strong suit, but there had been plenty of times he found himself sneaking around some Galra base to plant explosives to cover the team's escape.

 _BANG_. Another shot from the Sharpshooter (or was it The Tailor? It was hard to keep track).

Hunk sighed in relief as the warehouse came into view. So close to leaving this place behind for good.

"I made it out," Keith provided. "Heading towards the rendezvous point."

"Copy," Shiro whispered. "We're almost there."

To be honest, Hunk was surprised it had taken Keith so long. The guy was like a real-life ninja.

"Alright, I see you guys near the warehouse," Lance conveyed. "You should be cl… wait. Hold on a tick."

 _BANG._

"You're good. I can't risk another shot from this location. Heading towards you Red."

The trio hightailed it along the wall of the warehouse. It was always an astonishing sight to watch Pidge run. Being so short, one would expect her to struggle keeping up with someone as tall as Shiro, but here she was. Legs moving at triple speed, hot on their leader's heels. It's honestly impressive.

Shiro stopped at the fence and ushered the other two through the small opening they created earlier. After slipping out himself, he bent the fence back into position. The Galra would find the hole eventually, but any little bit helps.

They raced into the tree line for cover despite the already heavy breaths. The team's dark clothing and gear allowed the surrounding shadows to obscure any signs of the Network's enemies. Slowing their pace from a flat-out sprint to a decent jog accompanied a feeling of satisfaction of a successful mission. The tight knot in Hunk's stomach slowly unraveled with every stride. He couldn't wait to get back to headquarters. Sure, the team would only get a day of rest (maybe), but it was a familiar, safe place. It was home.

* * *

"What do you mean 'lay low'," he fumed, "I thought taking out the Komar was time sensitive?"

Shiro stepped into the seething glare directed at Allura.

"Keith," he warned, voice slipping into the firm, yet gentle tone. It's the tone that causes all eyes to focus on their leader with unwavering attention without fail. Much to his confusion, the team refers to it as his 'dad' voice. It's also one of the few ways to calm the team's hothead down.

Keith huffed and crossed his arms, glare lessening (only slightly though). The Altean stood unyielding in the center of the Bridge. Her body language exuding resolve and finality.

Lance cleared his throat to interrupt the battle of wills. "You know I hate to agree with Keith, but he's got a point."

Completely ignoring the insult, Keith' eyes widened with shock as he whipped his head towards his teammate. Hunk and Pidge looked at each other in confusion. Lance was the last person expected to speak up. It was normally Shiro coming to Keith's defense in situations like this.

Lance shoved his hands into his jacket and rolled his eyes. "Don't looked so surprised Mullet."

Keith looked away and grumbled "It's not a mullet."

"To answer your question Keith," Allura cut in, "Kolivan informed us that our last mission has caused unwanted disturbances within the Network. Coran has confirmed this with intercepted Galra transmissions. They speculate it was us in Tanzania. It would be best to execute our next mission when things calm down."

Hunk scratched his jaw in thought. "Okay, that make sense."

"I'm sensing a 'but' coming," Pidge guessed.

"But why is there so much uproar? It's not like we haven't done this before."

The Team Advisor stepped next to Allura and brought up a calendar on the holo-screen. "Believe it or not it's been a while since the Network suspected Voltron of anything. We can't know for sure if that's the reason though. It's better to be safe than sorry."

Murmurs of agreement came from almost everyone. Keith sighed in defeat.

"In the meantime, it's getting late. Everyone should get some rest."

"I'm pretty sure you're the only one who considers 11:30 at night late Shiro," Lance teased. He then conveniently (or inconveniently from his perspective) let out a huge yawn.

Shiro smiled and raised an eyebrow at the gesture. "Do I even need to say it?"

"No"

Laughter filled the Bridge for a full minute.


	7. Down Time

**Author's Notes: Hey everybody! *looks around at angry followers* Miss me?**

 **It's finally here. Unfortunately, things had happened that prevented me from writing (nothing bad I promise), but it's all good now. I'll say it again as a reminder: I am not abandoning this story.**

 **So as always, enjoy :).**

* * *

 **Chapter 7: Down Time**

The common room was filled with the quiet sound of the tapping of a keyboard. Pidge sprawled out on the couch while her various gadgets littered the surrounding space. She was currently trying to hack into the Network's database to figure out the cause for the uproar after the team's last mission. Hunk would've been helping, but Lance had dragged him away for some 'bro time'.

She had just broken through the second firewall when Coran meandered through the door. "Ah, there you are Number Five."

Pidge looked up at her nickname. As much as she proclaimed to hate it, she secretly loved it. It was the first nickname she'd received since Matt started calling her Pidge.

"Hey Coran. You need something?"

"Not really. I was just checking on your progress. Anything useful yet?"

She sighed, but continued hacking. "No. The Galra updated their security and I have another firewall to get through."

Coran offered an apologetic smile. "Well, I'm sure you'll be able to do it no prob…"

"Got it." A smirk adorned her features. Pidge wondered why the Galra even tried to update security at all.

However, the smirk quickly faded when she realized what she was looking at.

"Number five?"

Pidge looked up at Coran with wide eyes. "Get the others back here now." She took a breath to calm herself. "Level two."

It was times like these that Pidge wished her family was here for comfort.

* * *

Lance pried his eyes open with a groan. The morning light shining through the car window was blinding.

"Hey buddy. Enjoy your nap?"

He turned his head to the driver's seat. Hunk was staring at the road stretching before them. One hand gripped the top of the steering wheel while the other held a coffee cup; steam curling out of the opening of the lid. His head leaned against the head rest in total comfort. If Normalcy was a person, Hunk is what it would look like. If Lance wasn't so groggy, he would've laughed at the thought, especially considering their profession.

Rubbing his eyes with the heel of his hand, Lance sat up and stretched (as much as the confines of the car would allow). "What time is it?"

Hunk huffed and glanced towards his friend. "You'll complain no matter what I tell you."

Lance shot him a glare. "You're lucky I'm too tired to think of a response." He looked at the dashboard clock. It took a minute to decipher the red, blurry numbers. "Seriously, how are you always so happy this early in the morning?"

"It's a gift."

"Illegal is what it should be." Lance's eyes returned to Hunks cup, longing for sip of the hot liquid. "Wait, when did you get coffee?"

The living teddy bear smiled. "I stopped at a gas station about fifteen minutes ago."

"And you didn't get me one?" Lance gasped. He knew how much Lance relied on coffee during early mornings.

Hunk gave him a sideways look as if to say ' _Seriously, dude?_ '. "Do you really think me so cruel?" He gestured to the cupholder sitting in between the two friends. A large, steaming cup sat there, just begging to be consumed.

Lance quickly seized the cup and breathed in the welcoming aroma. "Hunk, you're my hero."

The delicious brew was gone by the time Hunk pulled into the parking lot. Huge white letters spelling 'Centre Shot' reflected the morning light. Lance loved coming here. Sure, he could've used the Training Deck at the warehouse, but it wasn't that big. Besides, it was the only nearby shooting range long enough for his skills to be truly tested.

After retrieving the gear from the trunk, Lance lead the way into the main building to rent a spot on the outdoor range in the back. He smiled at the familiar face sitting behind the counter.

"Rolo," the man jumped in surprise and looked up from his phone. "How's my favorite shop keeper?" Man, coffee never failed to make the sharpshooter happy.

Rolo returned the smile and relaxed from the scare. "Hey Lance. Hey Hunk. Haven't seen you guys in a while."

"Yeah. Both of us have been super busy lately." Hunk set his bags on the floor and eyed the old register sitting on the counter. "You still have that thing?"

The shop keeper laughed. "My dad doesn't want to pay for a new one, so for now we're stuck with old Beezer here." He patted the machine. The drawer immediately opened with a _ding_ , startling all three guys. When the laughter finally ceased, Rolo rung them up for their usual spot and the two boys took off.

Not many people used the outdoor range, so it was no surprise to find only one other lane occupied. The shooter was obviously new to the whole long-range shooting thing. The target was only twenty-five feet away and an older man (a coach, maybe?) was yelling corrections at her. Even with hearing protection Lance easily recognized the frustrated tone. Another man was standing further back observing. Lance immediately pegged him as military.

Hunk claimed the last lane and Lance started to set up the next one over. He's done this so many times, shots began to fly within minutes. Thankfully, the range was upgraded about a year ago. Now shooters didn't have to physically walk out to set a target. Which was totally fine with Lance's lazy ass. After a few minutes of him completely obliterating the center ring of the target, Hunk made his first shot. Lance peeked through his scope at his friend's target. The shot was slightly up and right of the bullseye. Another hole appeared in almost the exact same spot.

Lance put his rifle down on the mat and waved for Hunk's attention. 'Your anticipating the recoil again,' he mouthed. Hunk nodded in understanding and aimed once more. Lance watched as the third attempt pierced the black of the center ring. It wasn't a perfect bullseye, but pride was felt by both nonetheless.

Returning his attention back to his own target, Lance pressed a button on the console next to him to move it back from seventy-five feet to a hundred-ten. He was reloading after the fourth shot when a tap on the shoulder was felt. The man he pegged as military earlier was there, motioning for him to remove his ear plugs.

Lance stood and obliged. The man offered his hand, "The name's Haxus."

"Lance." They shook as he took note of the man's slight British accent. He also noted the other shooter and her coach were standing near a table speaking in hushed tones. Hunk was gathering more ammunition.

"That was some amazing shooting you were doing. Are you in the military?"

Lance absent-mindedly patted the dog tags hiding beneath his shirt and shook his head, cover story already formed. "Not any more. I was in an accident right before my first deployment and was discharged."

Haxus hummed and rubbed his chin in thought. "That's too bad. I bet you would have done remarkable things overseas."

He was about to ask the man for clarification when a massive hand strongly tugged on his shoulder causing him to meet Hunk's extremely serious gaze.

"Lance, we need to go now."

The sniper furrowed his brows in confusion. "Go? But we just go—"

"Lance."

The message was clear. Lance had only seen this expression cross Hunk's face a few times before. This behavior always caused one's heart to race and breath to shorten.

It was times like these that Lance knew something was seriously wrong.

* * *

The air was still crisp and cool in the rising sun. Morning dew still clung to the cars crawling by Shiro and Keith as they ran. Shiro loved this time of year. It was the only time he could go out into the city without people giving him weird looks for wearing long sleeves and gloves for his prosthetic and a beanie for his hair.

They'd just finished the two-mile stretch on the beach and were entering the large city park. The route the two have used for years takes roads near the edge of the city to avoid foot traffic while still staying somewhat close to the warehouse. The team might not be active at the moment, but Shiro never took any chances.

That included his teammates. Which was exactly why he decided to take Keith on a run. The guy had seemed distracted since the mission in Tanzania. He was restless. More than usual and that was saying something. Shiro also didn't miss the way he rubbed the newly placed bandage peeking from under his glove.

Keith gave a curious look at the drop in Shiro's pace, but followed suit. He knew what was coming. "I really should know your ambush tactics by now."

Shiro caught his breath. "It's not an ambush."

"Do I need to tell you the definition?"

"Fine. You caught me." The pace finally slowed to a walk. "What's going on?"

Silence was one of Keith's many attributes. Unless he was arguing with Lance, he normally waited until people gave up. But Shiro was a patient person.

Keith finally sighed. "I just… I just have this feeling. Like something big is about to happen."

"Good or bad?"

"Not sure." He started to rub the bandage again. "It feels like we're about to fall off the ledge of a canyon. It's too dark to see the bottom, so it could either be a safety net or filled with spikes. You won't know unless you jump."

Shiro knows that feeling all too well. He experienced it many times during his year of captivity. Sometimes waking in a cold sweat, unable to loosen the knot in his stomach. Paying extra attention to details for anything out of the ordinary. It's not a pleasant experience.

"Talk through it," he suggested. "Like we did back at the Garrison."

"Well," Keith's brows scrunched together in thought, "it's the way the Network acted after the last mission. That's never happened before."

"We don't know that we were the cause."

"Who's to say we weren't? I mean…" He stopped, brushing the loose strands of hair that had fallen out of his pony tail. Shiro placed a hand on his shoulder. It had been a while since Keith had acted like this. "I ripped my glove on the edge of a container. It cut my hand pretty deep."

Shiro frowned. "You didn't say anything about getting cut."

"I didn't think it was that big a deal, until…"

The universe really had the worse timing.

Both of their phones buzzed. Keith didn't bother looking as Shiro fished his out of his pocket. He swiped the screen revealing Coran's Message.

 ** _Gorgeous Man: Everyone is needed back home. Level 2._**

Oh no. Over the many years of Voltron's existence, never has a Level 2 situation occurred. Sure, they deal with Level 5's all the time, but a Level 2… This was bad.

Shiro started typing his reply when Hunk's response came through.

 ** _Mr. Sunshine: Lance and I are thirty minutes out_**

 ** _Gorgeous Man: Understood._**

 ** _Winter Soldier: Be there in twenty._**

He relayed the message as they sprinted out of the park.

It was times like these that Shiro hated when Keith was right.


	8. Cold in the Desert

**Author's Note: Hello World! I'm super excited for what's to come for this fic and I can't wait to share it with all you lovely readers (after I write it of course). There is a note at the end of the chapter, so keep an eye out.**

 **And as always... Enjoy :)**

* * *

 **Chapter 8: Cold in the Desert**

"Sir!"

The commanding officer looked up from his paperwork as a communication specialist burst into his make-shift office. It was almost time for dinner and he really did not want to deal with anything right now. "What is it Harper?"

"We just received word from an anonymous source about that extremist group your team's been investigating. They're meeting at a factory here in Saudi Arabia tomorrow night."

All irritation immediately melted away as the man sprung into action, grabbing his gear. "Is the source reliable?" he questioned.

The specialist only smirked. "Of course. I checked it myself."

"Gather the team. We're not letting this opportunity slip by." Both ran out of the office with determination that was lacking a few moments ago.

But little did they know what they were truly in for.

* * *

"Are you sure this is the right place? Nothing looks out of the ordinary."

Pidge's exasperated sigh was heard clearly through the coms. "I'm one hundred percent certain. You saw the scans yourself."

"We trust you Green. Gold is just being cautious," Shiro explained, "Any word from Silver and Orange yet?" Hunk looked up from his task to the team's field leader. Wind whipped around them as they occupied the roof of an old storage building. Nights in Saudi Arabia were surprisingly cold. How was Shiro not shivering?

"Nothing yet. But that doesn't really surprise me. The Generals are going to need a lot of convincing to accept the threat is real."

Hunk turned his gaze to the team's target. The factory itself was nothing special; multiple stories and three inactive smoke stacks rising into the dark sky. The entire structure was built into the side of a mountain (it was more like a cliff, but that's besides the point). About half a dozen storage buildings, similar to the one the two teammates were located, were scattered throughout the area.

He thought back to the briefing two days ago to discuss the Level 2 alert. A shudder passed through his body just thinking about it.

 _"This can't be right," Allura stated. All eyes were turned to the holo-screen silently hovering above the center of the briefing table._

 _Pidge's gaze never wavered from the screen. "Unfortunately, it is."_

 _"A complete target list for the Komar," Hunk exasperated._

 _"Well," Pidge stuttered, "we can't know for sure that this is the full list, but that's not all I found." She typed on her computer, bringing up a document. "This is a draft of a letter explaining who the Network is and what the Komar does. It's basically a threat to use the Komar on the intended targets unless all political power is given to Zarkon himself. And… and it's addressed to every world leader in existence."_

 _"The Galra are planning to go public to achieve complete control over every country in the world," Shiro concluded._

 _The tension in the room increased tenfold. Everyone acted as if turned to stone; even Lance who never sat still._

 _"So, the shit-show is about to begin." Keith rubbed his temples. "What do we do now?"_

 _Allura leaned forward in her chair. "We need to infiltrate a quintessence refinery as soon as possible. Pidge believes she found one."_

 _The hacker waved her hand, bringing up a map of the Middle East on the holo-screen. "Based on the intel we got from the compound in Tanzania, there are three possible locations. The most promising one is an old factory in the northern parts of Saudi Arabia. The factory itself was a dead end, so I asked Coran to scan the area."_

 _"Quite right Number Five," the Altean beamed, "all Altean scans show there is definitely a hidden structure inside the mountain next to the factory. Unfortunately, that's about all we know. Any normal scan of the mountain failed."_

 _"Okay," Lance interrupted, "back to the infiltration part. The Galra are going to keep something like that heavily guarded. The chances of getting inside without being seen are about as low as Keith cutting his hair."_

 _"Any ideas?" Shiro asked cutting off the impending argument._

 _Lance perked up. "We need to thin their defenses. Draw the Galra out of the refinery long enough for us to get in_ and _out."_

 _Shiro nodded in agreement. "So, what we need is a distraction…"_

Hunk was brought back to the present when Lance's voice filled the coms. "Hey guys, anyone order a special ops team with the use of false information?"

He looked pass the buildings to see two covered trucks with the headlights off. They were really hauling ass with the amount of dust the tires were creating. The vehicles didn't look like much to the untrained eye, but they were definitely loaded with military personnel.

"Are you going to complain the whole time?" The irritation was extremely clear in Keith's tone. "You've already made it clear you don't agree with the plan."

Lance huffed. "I also made it clear that it's not the entire plan I have a problem with."

"Blue," Shiro interrupted, "we don't like it either, but giving the military false information about their investigation was the only thing we could think of to cause a distraction. No one can know we're here."

The team had gone back and forth on the idea. It put both parties at serious risk. But the soldiers would unknowingly provide a much-needed distraction while Voltron put their plan into motion.

Shiro was tasked with guarding Hunk while he wired in trackers into all of the Galran transports they could find. It had to be done a certain way in order for the devices to avoid detection.

Keith and Lance (who were currently standing on top of another storage building on the other side of the factory) were stuck with perimeter duty. They also would step in and help the soldiers if needed; preferably from a distance to not let on that Voltron was around. Since it was the team's fault they were there in the first place, the least they could do is provide backup.

That left an extremely grumpy Pidge back at base to make sure all trackers were working. She fought tooth and nail to go with the others until Scary Allura threatened to make an appearance.

Lance and Keith continued their argument until Shiro cut them off. "All right knock it off you two and get ready. Beta Squad is here."

The trucks had barely stopped near the furthest storage building (only two away from Voltron's position) before the soldiers poured out the back. Weapons immediately swept the area as two groups formed and split off from each other. Shiro and Hunk crouched low to avoid being spotted.

They stayed that way until Pidge came over the coms a few minutes later. She was currently tracking all heat signatures through hacked military satellites. "Alright, the plan seems to be working. There's a lot of movement leaving the factory, but it's settling down. I think this is the best we're gonna get, so you better hurry Black and Gold."

"Copy."

It was now or never. Hunk zipped up his backpack of equipment and carefully slung it over his shoulder. He looked over to Shiro who gave a short nod before the pair lowered themselves from the roof and made a dash towards the looming factory. The planned entry point was a second story window. Hunk stopped directly below it and raised his right arm, fist closed, and aimed directly above the window; Shiro did the same with his left. Immediately, a small projectile with a cord attached shot out of the contraption encasing each combatant's wrist. The mechanism worked similarly to Pidge's favorite weapon, but with Altean technology thrown in.

A few seconds later, the pair slipped through the window and silently landed on a metal catwalk. Both set of eyes scanned the large machinery filling up the ground floor below. They weren't quite sure what they were looking for, but that didn't end up being an issue. Shiro tapped Hunk's shoulder for his attention and pointed to the east wall. A clear sightline lead to a door with a faded high voltage warning symbol on it. That in-of-itself was nothing special, but the hand scanner bolted next to it (one that looked extremely similar to others the team had come across before) was definitely worth noting.

They made their way down some stairs and weaved through the idle machinery until the door loomed in front of them. Without hesitation, Shiro walked forward, placing his prosthetic on the scanner. A faint purple glow emitted from the device as access was granted. The door slid open (thankfully without a sound) to reveal a long hallway. If Hunk had to guess, this was probably one of the few entrances to the structure hidden within the mountain.

"Ready Gold?"

Hunk took a deep breath and looked at the team leader. "Let's do this."

Shiro lead him down the corridor and soon came upon a large room. It didn't seem to be the main area of the Galra base, but that didn't matter. It was actually the intended target.

 _'What are the odds?'_ Hunk thought.

Both of them ducked behind some sort of control panel. It probably opened the hanger-sized door on the left wall. Why was the door so big? Well, it could be the fact a CH-47 Chinook helicopter was being housed along with three semi-trucks that were parked next to one another. There didn't seem to be any guards around (or people in general thanks to the distraction), so sneaking around shouldn't be too difficult; especially with Shiro around.

Together, they crept out from behind the control panel and slipped between the closest two trucks. Without hesitation, Hunk jumped into the space between tractor and trailer, opened a panel, and set to work. The process of integrating the tracker in the trucks wiring could easily be done in less than a minute, but he had to be careful. One wire out of place and it either won't work or it could be detected.

He twisted the last wires together and whispered into his com, "Alpha Tracker done, Green."

"Okay, I'm getting a strong signal. Move on to the next one."

"Copy"

Hunk jumped to the concrete floor with a slight _thud_. Shiro was waiting, eyes scanning the area for any threats.

He was about to jump into the second truck when the familiar sound of Shiro's arm activating filled his ears. The soft purple glow reflected off the white trailers as Shiro leapt forward, surprising a passing Galra guard. The look on his face was pretty hilarious. The poor guy was barely able to pull out his hand gun before the heat and strength of the prosthetic crushed the weapon like it was tin foil. Shiro, after deactivating his arm, pulled the guard further between the trucks before whipping around him, putting him in a choke hold. He tried to cry out, but all he managed was some type of gargling. It didn't take long for the guard to black out from lack of oxygen. The hold ordeal didn't take more than thirty seconds.

It took a quick look from Shiro to snap Hunk out of his amazement. No matter how many times he's seen Shiro fight, Hunk would never cease to be impressed.

The last truck was almost finished when Pidge came over the coms, "Black, we got a situation."

"What is it?" Shiro muttered.

"Heat signatures indicate there's a squadron of Galra surrounding a group of Beta Squad. Red and Blue will have to engage."

"Copy. Blue, do you have a clear shot?"

The worry in Lance's voice was hidden by his frustration. "That's the problem. They're inside one of the storage buildings."

Shit. Those buildings don't have windows. Lance and Keith wouldn't be able to help from a distance. They'd have to go hand-to-hand. But that meant revealing Voltron was here.

"There's no time," Keith hissed. "We're going in."

Hunk took a peek over to Shiro. His brows were knit together in thought, but his dark eyes held resolve. He knew there was no other way.

He sighed. "Understood. Try to stick to the shadows as much as possible."

"Copy," Lance responded.

Hunk felt a strong urge he couldn't repress. "Be careful guys."

The panel of the last truck was closed soon after. Hunk rejoined Shiro in open space as they dashed to the helicopter. They stopped ever so often behind something to make sure the area was still clear. Once he was done and Lance and Keith helped out the others, Voltron was home free.

He really should know better than to jinx a mission.

* * *

Shiro knew Hunk was working as fast as he could, but he couldn't help the feeling of impatience lodged in his stomach. The short altercation with the guard had put him on edge. The fact Lance and Keith had to reveal the team's presence was not helping either.

He followed Hunk up the helicopter's ramp. The relatively large cargo hold was currently empty, so he didn't have any trouble racing to the controls. Shiro stayed closer to the back to keep an eye out. Pidge was talking over the coms to help Hunk find the machine's main electrical system.

Two minutes had passed, but it felt like hours. A small amount of relief flooded Shiro's mind when Pidge confirmed a strong signal from the last tracker.

But that feeling was quickly squashed when the coms transmitted Keith's frantic cry. Shiro's blood instantly froze.

"Blue's hit!"

* * *

 **Post-Chapter Note: What's this? A message after the chapter? Has quinnarrow gone mad?... maybe...**

 **I've seen some author's do this, so I figured what the hell? You can find me on Tumblr under the name quinnarrow (I tried putting a link, but it's not working). ****It's mostly just reblogs of Voltron stuff with a few other fandoms sporadically thrown in (nothing really special). But if you wondered what I find cool or if you wanted to message me about Among the Elite, here's how. See you next time!**


	9. A Game of Politics

**Author's Notes: Hello all! Sorry for the wait on this chapter. I wanted to get the next one mostly done before posting this one. 'Why' you ask? Well, this is kind of a short (and necessary) chapter and I didn't want to have you wait too long for the next one, so keep your eyes out for another update soon!**

 **BTW, I changed the rating of this story from T to M, just to be safe.**

 **Enjoy :)**

* * *

 **Chapter 9: A Game of Politics**

Allura _really_ hated people sometimes. How could someone with such a high rank be so idiotic? She had just spent nearly an hour explaining the Galra Network and presenting different pieces of evidence to three Generals and two Lieutenant Colonels (five people confirmed not to be involved in the Network). But they seemed far from convinced of the Komar threat.

Colonel Vakala leaned back in his office chair. "It's a compelling story, I'll give you that, but a story none-the-less."

"I'd hate to agree," General Montgomery piped in, "but the Galran Race has been non-existent for years."

"Is it so hard to believe some survived the genocide?" Allura challenged.

General Remdax spoke up next. "That I can believe, but it's everything after that's hard to think about. I mean, infiltrating governments around the world?" He scoffed. "Besides, didn't you try pulling this stunt years ago?"

Ah ha. There it was. Before Voltron started obscuring their operations… well let's just say they made sure their voices were heard. It had taken a couple years to realize how deep the Network's claws went into various governments. It was the main reason the team would never succeed in taking down the Network head on, but this new threat called for a change in tactic.

So, yes. Allura expected the subject to be discussed.

"General Remdax." She stood to accentuate the importance of her next statement, voice low and calm. "Do you know what my job is?"

The General's gaze lowered to the table to avoid Allura's unwavering stare. Everyone in the military, domestic and most foreign, knew the answer. Her and Coran (who was standing outside) were the only known members of Voltron. She scanned the four other occupants, all wouldn't meet her eyes directly. Refocusing on Remdax, Allura leaned forward on her hands and waited for acknowledgement. He would _not_ be getting out of this one.

It took a few moments before Remdax realized what Allura was doing before raising his head once more. Her point had been made, but it didn't mean she was done.

"To answer your question, General, yes. Years ago, I attempted to do the exact same thing as I am now. It was your predecessor who told me to collect evidence to support my claims that the threat of the Galran race and their organization was real. What I've shown you today is the culmination of years of the most respectable reputation in the world." She took a quick, somewhat calming breath and glared at Remdax. "So, General, I ask you to honor the dedication of the most highly trained special ops team by at least judging the situation on what was said today, not in the past."

She finally sat back down, fighting to keep the corners of her mouth from turning upward. Allura thought her father would be quite pleased with her speech. For a while, it seemed as if no one wanted to disturb the pin-dropping silence. Surprisingly, it was General Dos Santos who corrupted the quiet (though he was hesitant about it).

"With all due respect Miss Parrish, even with Voltron's reputation, what you claim now is way beyond what you did before. I mean, saying the countries of Olkarion and Balmera were once under the complete domination of this so-called Network, but are now conveniently free? If that were the case, the rest of the world would've known about it."

If she wasn't a skilled observer, Allura would've missed the way Colonel Gilmore tensed her shoulders at the statement. It was an odd reaction, but not something to focus on right now.

"Normally, I would agree, General, but you don't know the Network like I do." She took a moment to repress the painful memories that were itching for attention. "Their resources, especially in media and communication, are beyond your imagination. They'd be able to stop any unwanted attention from occurring."

And that's how it went. The stubborn officials questioning claims; Allura defending them.

It was another hour before General Montgomery suggest the meeting end (she apparently had other matters to attend to)

She stepped into the bright hallway, sending a defeated look towards Coran.

"I take it things did not go well?" He glanced at the receding figures down the hallway.

"Not even close."

The Alteans turned to leave the wretched meeting behind when someone called out.

"Miss Parrish, do you have a moment?"

Allura whipped her head around to face Colonel Gilmore. She was a tall, strong-built woman with dark skin and a voice that was extremely pleasant to listen to. Unfortunately, that delightful sound was not heard once during the meeting.

"Of course. Is there something you need?"

Gilmore looked behind her to see no one was around, then leaned in close to whisper. "I believe you."

Well that was unexpected. Not one word of support was said the entire meeting and Allura had already resolved to the fact Voltron was alone.

The confusion must've been clear on her face, because Gilmore quickly continued. "I know I didn't say anything during the meeting and there's a reason for that. The generals are stuck in their ways and Vakala always follows the masses. If I had voiced my support earlier, they would've made sure I lost my credibility. No one under my command would listen to me and any aid to Voltron would have disappeared. Speaking to you privately and going behind my superior's backs is the only way."

For the first time in a while, Allura was speechless. She could've spent all day standing there trying to remember how to speak. Thankfully Coran seemed to realize her shock.

"What convinced you?" he asked.

She rubbed the back of her neck. "Well, to be honest I've known about the Network my whole life." The sleeve of her uniform was pulled back to reveal a bracelet. It was a simple leather cord with a sky-blue gem that seemed to glow.

No, not a gem. A crystal.

Allura found her voice once more. "You're Balmeran."

Gilmore nodded and replaced her sleeve. "I was two years old when Balmeran rebel fighters were able to sneak me out of the country. Unfortunately, I had to leave my family to the mercy of the Galra. I wanted to help my people but didn't know how. Turns out it wasn't needed. A few years back, I received a message from my parents. The Galran hierarchy had crumbled and the country was free from their rule. No one really knew what happened. It was like the Galra disappeared over night. It's been a complete mystery." She gave the most thankful look Allura had ever seen. "Until now."

The Altean remembered that mission well. It had taken days to devise a plan (they ended up improvising anyways). The elation everyone felt after freeing their first country was almost overwhelming.

The Colonel leaned in close once more. "I will do whatever I can without my superiors finding out. I have many people under my command who are ready to fight against the Galra. Just say when and where."

Allura smiled wide as the two women shook hands. "Thank you, Colonel Gilmore. You will be hearing from us soon."

She smiled back. "Please, call me Shay."

Relief washed over Coran and Allura as they exited to building. Things were starting to look up.


	10. Silencing a Lion

**Author's Notes: Hello to all you wonderful readers! Just an FYI, I increased this story's rating just to be safe, but it's nothing to be concerned about. Also, I'm hoping to get one more chapter posted before school gets too crazy, but can't guarantee anything. I'll do my best though!**

 **I'm still on Tumblr as quinnarrow if anyone wanted to ask me questions about Among the Elite.**

 **Enjoy :)**

* * *

 **Chapter 10: Silencing a Lion**

A shiver ran down Lance's spine in the cool desert air. The view from atop the storage building reminded him of the scenery around the Garrison. That was the place Allura recruited him. He always wondered what his life would've been like had she not asked that one question.

He had failed a flight simulation the same morning and was waiting for the tongue lashing from Iverson. When Mr. Harris had called him to the offices during lunch it was not the Commander waiting for him. Lance will forever deny any drooling that might have occurred when he first saw Allura. TV did not do the Altean justice.

After the awkward introduction, they talked for quite a while about Lance's time at the Garrison (per her request). He had tried sniper training and was actually pretty good at it, but was dead set on following his hero's footsteps in becoming as great a pilot as the Garrison-trained Takashi Shirogane. He also described how a certain cadet almost crushed his dreams before being kicked out for discipline issues.

Lance explained everything to Allura before she spoke again. _"Lance, do you still want to be a pilot?"_

He had hesitated. As much as he loved flying, he'd known for a while that piloting was not his calling, no matter how much it hurt to admit. Somehow, even back then, Lance knew he was meant for something bigger.

 _"I'm not going to lie to you. My advisor and I have been observing your progress. You are already a top marksman, even with little training. I've also notice your compassion and loyalty to others."_ Those compliments rendered the young cadet mute. It had been a really long time since someone had complimented his skills like that. To say it was a breath of fresh air would be an understatement.

Even with flattery, it still took some convincing for Lance to agree to join the Altean. Saying she couldn't give many details didn't help with that, but the real issue was with his family. It would be a long, long time before he'd be able to contact them again.

That was the reason he was so close to saying no. _"Lance, I understand you are close to your family, but the world_ needs _you. It needs you to achieve your full potential and you can't do that here. Please. Please do this for your family's sake."_ The desperation in her voice was clearer than the water at Varadero Beach. The relief he saw in her eyes after agreeing is a look he'll remember for the rest of his life.

 _"Now all that's needed is a hacker and engineer."_ She had mumbled that to herself, but it was probably a good thing Lance heard (hence why Pidge and Hunk are not Garrison graduates).

Speaking of the little gremlin…

Her voice brought Lance back to the present. "Black, we got a situation."

"What is it?" Shiro muttered.

"Heat signatures indicate there's a squadron of Galra surrounding a group of Beta Squad. Red and Blue will have to engage."

Lance knew exactly what group she was talking about. It was the one he watched enter a storage building earlier.

"Copy. Blue, do you have a clear shot?"

Still standing, he looked through his scope before remembering one specific detail; all these buildings didn't have windows. "That's the problem. They're inside one of the storage buildings."

He looked at Keith, desperate for any ideas. Mullet Man thought for a moment before meeting Lance's gaze. He seemed to be thinking something along the lines of 'What the hell?'.

"There's no time," Keith hissed into the coms. "We're going in."

There was a brief moment of silence that Lance thought Shiro wouldn't agree.

But then he sighed. "Understood. Try to stick to the shadows as much as possible."

"Copy," Lance responded.

"Be careful guys," Hunk pleaded. It caused Lance to smile.

He strapped his rifle to his back and looked at Keith once more. He'd just finished putting his mullet into a messy pony (he really should just get it cut) and nodded to Lance to say he was ready. Without a word, the two lowered themselves from the roof and sprinted away. The storage building with the Beta group was only three away from where they were, so running there didn't take too long.

With one building left to pass, Keith ducked to the right and disappeared. Lance immediately knew what he was doing. Keith would enter some obscure way in the rear while Lance snuck through the front. They've used this tactic so many times over the years it's become second nature. As much as they argue, Lance and Keith really do make the most effective pairing.

When he reached the front of the building, the large garage door was closed tight. Fortunately, the door meant for people to the left was half open. Lance slipped inside and pulled out his hand gun. The building itself was about 100 by 50 feet and was packed with wooden crates stacked high to the ceiling. It offered many shadows for Lance and Keith to hide in. But that also meant the Galra could hide as well.

He crept along the wall, listening to the footsteps of what he presumed was Beta Team. One would think they'd be quieter. They seemed to be near the center of the building where a soft yellow glow was emanating.

Stepping away from the wall, Lance weaved his way towards the center. Only a few feet had been covered before the shouting match started.

"Get on the ground!"

"Lower your weapons!"

"You're surrounded!"

That last one didn't sound promising. After picking up the pace, Lance finally found the source of the now quieted shouting and the glow. Huge cylindrical vats surrounded a small area with stacks of crates mixed in (this place was really unorganized). Some type of liquid bubbled inside casting yellow light on a dire situation. Lance counted seven members of Beta, all on their knees with hands behind their heads. The group rested inside a circle of ten Galra soldiers. Their weapons were trained on the hostages. The sniper observed this from behind a vat. Thankfully the mysterious liquid was not transparent.

'Alright,' he thought, 'how is this going to work? I can't take all of them myself. Keith and I will have to jump in together.'

Immediately, Lance looked up. Keith preferred to be on higher ground. If he was anywhere, he'd be crouching on top of either a vat or crate. The problem was the man was a shadow; only to be seen if wanted. It was great during most missions, but at times like these Lance wished Keith wasn't so good at his job.

If it weren't for his impeccable sharpshooter vision, Lance would've missed the pair of purple eyes staring down at him from across the clearing. Guess Keith was thinking the same thing. He pointed to his head, then to Lance asking for any ideas.

Lance smiled with mischief.

About ten seconds full of hand gestures later and Keith understood the plan. They'd have to kill. There was no other way to save Beta Team.

Sharpshooter stood, still hidden behind a vat. He peered into the opening just enough to aim at the first unlucky target. Lance took a breath and pulled the trigger.

The chaos that followed seemed to unfold in slow motion.

Galra #1 went down with a well-placed head shot, causing the rest to look at their fallen comrade with alarming speeds. A split second later, Keith leaped down from his hiding spot. He landed directly on Galra #2's back, earning him a knife in the throat. Again, the rest of the Galra turned and presented their backs to Lance's position, this time raising their weapons. Lance stepped into the clearing as well. Galra #3 received a new hole in his head for stupidity.

The enemy seemed to catch on after that. One was quick to aim, but Lance rolled as the shot missed him and cracked the glass of a vat. Immediately, he raised to one knee and Galra #4 went down. Out of the corner of his eye, Lance saw Keith drop one more only to begin hand-to-hand with another. He vaguely noticed Pidge and Hunk talking over the coms but ignores it in turn for another head shot of Galra #7 who was coming up behind Keith.

'This is going extremely well,' he thought.

Lance rose to his feet and was met with a bullet to the back of his left shoulder. The Altean body armor thankfully stopped it but there will definitely be a bruise later. The force of the impact knocked him back to one knee, but Shiro had helped him improve his reflexes. Without standing again, Lance twisted his torso to the left, aiming slightly behind his shoulder. Both foes were about to pull the trigger when two members of Beta tackled Galra #8 to the ground. Guess they got over their shock.

A flash of movement caught the sniper's attention and Galra #9 fell with a slight aim adjustment. Lance spun as he stood once more. To the untrained eye, Lance was just showing off, but it was actually a tactic to locate lucky #10. This would be a piece of cake. The guy was only five feet away and desperately trying to decide who to shoot next; Lance, Keith, or anyone of Beta. Lance aimed to put an end to the fight when a familiar looking dagger flew past his ear and straight into Galra #10's chest.

He lowered his weapon and pouted. "I had that guy."

A smirking Keith soon walked into his field of vision and retrieved his dagger. "Gotta be quicker next time."

Lance glared, but it didn't last long. The realization of what just happened came crashing down on them in that moment. The two looked around at the seven pairs of wide-eyes of Beta. Guess the red and blue Voltron 'V' on their biceps were hard to miss. This was definitely a first. No one had ever seen Voltron. Sure, there've been plenty of close calls, but never out in the open like this. So much for sticking to the shadows.

"We should probably get out of here," Keith urged. He didn't wait for a response before walking pass him to leave

Lance sighed and pointed to Beta. "We were never here, got it?" He turned to follow Keith who was only a few feet away.

That's when his blood ran cold.

Something was causing Lance's gut to clench and heart to race. Keith must've felt it too; he had dropped his pace and began searching the rafters. Lance scanned the ground for anything that looked out of place.

Unfortunately, he found it. Galra #8 (the one Beta had tackled) was lying on the ground and silently raising a hand gun to Keith's back.

There was no hesitation with Lance's next movement's.

"Red!"

Lance leapt forward, placed his hands on Keith's back, and shoved with all his remaining strength. Multiple gasps were quickly drowned out by two ear-splitting echoes and the searing pain that comes when a bullet finds it's mark.


	11. The Color of Blood

**Author's Note: Wait... it's done? The chapter is done? THE CHAPTER IS DONE! OMG this took a long ass time and I'm truly sorry for that. It's been hectic the past few months (in a great way don't worry) and I've had very little time to write. I know this chapter is shorter than the others, but I didn't want to go any further than this right now.** **Not gonna lie it will be a while before posting again, but I'll do my best!**

 **Just be aware that this chapter does deal with blood. So this is your warning.**

 **BTW I'm starting a new story. I wrote the prologue a while ago (like February while ago) and just posted it now. I'll focus on Elite before I really dive into the new one. But if you wanted to read it it's called "Of Myth and Legend". It's another VLD fic.**

 **Anyways you lovely readers... Enjoy :)**

* * *

 **Chapter 11: The Color of Blood**

When he first met Lance, Keith wasn't really sure what to think of the guy. He got on every one of Keith's nerves. Which frankly wasn't all that hard to do, but there was just something about Lance that got under his skin. Constant bickering, stupid competitions, not to mentions the intense glaring. Looking back on it now, Keith couldn't really pin point when things changed between them. It was a slow build of trust that neither of them realized was developing. Sure, they still argue, but there's no longer any heat behind their words.

And right now, Keith would do anything to relive one of those moments; good or bad.

He quickly regained his balance from the unexpected shove and turned to see a nightmare unfold. The Galran who attacked was being subdued by two of Beta Squad. But that was the extent of the good news. Lance was lying face down on the concrete; red quickly overtaking the gray beneath mixing with yellow liquid spilt from a shattered vat. Blues eyes were screwed shut, contorting his face into a painful expression. Keith could see the rise and fall of his fallen comrade's chest. It wasn't too late.

The small spark of hope kicked him into high gear. Keith would love to say how level-headed he is during these types of situations. But honestly the only thing running through his head for a few moments was _"shit, shit, shit, fuck, shit…."_.

He screamed into the coms. "Blue's hit!"

"What happened?" Pidge shrieked.

Keith slammed his knees to the ground and examined the damage. "He's been shot."

"Do what you can Red. Yellow and I are on route to you. Green, get an evac here now."

"On it Black."

Keith tuned out the rest of the conversation and focused on Lance. He was practically covered in the stuff from the vat. It created a savory aroma that was misplaced in the grizzly scene. The bullet had pierced Lance's left lower back directly beneath his body armor. Using one hand to move the bloody shirt out of the way and placing it on the entry wound, the other reaching for a pouch hooked to his belt, Keith's mind switched into overdrive taking in as many details as possible. Lance's heavy breaths were the only sound as the others present had gone silent. They were probably too shocked to do anything.

Keith finally pulled out the small packet and gauze he was looking for from his pouch. He ripped open the packet with his teeth, removed his soaked hand from Lance's back, and poured some of the contents in the wound. It was a type of powder that made blood clot to slow bleeding. Coran had explained how the stuff works (they've had to use it plenty of times before), but Keith never paid attention. He only remembers that it burns. He was almost thankful Lance was barely conscious.

Almost.

If he was losing this much blood this quickly, the bullet had to of nicked one of his iliac arteries.

"Okay buddy," Keith murmured, "you're almost there. Stay with me." He was really trying to keep himself calm. A habit he's had for a long time.

As gently as possible, Keith slowly turned Lance onto his back. There was too much blood pooling beneath for the bullet not to go all the way through. Keith repeated his actions on the exit wound in record time and placed gauze on both sides.

But something was wrong. Lance's breaths had become way too shallow for Keith's liking. If he had to guess, he probably lost at least a liter and a half of blood by now. Loosing any more (which was definitely still happening) would cause unconsciousness. Being unconscious due to blood lose was the point of no return. And Lance was getting unnervingly close.

"We're almost there, Red. Hang on."

He barely registered Shiro's words. All of his razor-sharp focus was on the man dying in front of him. This was probably a bad thing since the team was still in enemy territory, but Keith couldn't bring himself to care. The hothead was not allowing a teammate… no, they were more than teammates. They've been through so much together, Voltron was family and Keith wasn't about to lose another family member.

But there was just… so much blood. Keith's gloved hands were warm, drenched. His pants and boots were stained. And none of it was his own. It wasn't the first time he's been covered in someone else's blood, but it never settled well. It didn't help that the weird liquid was swirling around on the…

Wait a tick.

Wasn't Lance covered in the stuff? Where did it go? Any trace that was on his body was almost completely gone. Keith had become completely still, trying to figure out what was going on. Then he saw it.

"Um, sir?"

He held up his pointer finger in a 'be quiet' gesture to the Beta personnel that spoke; not daring to take his eyes off Lance's exposed hips. He needed to make sure he saw it correctly. At first it looked like the small yellow droplets were just vanishing, evaporating away. But closer inspection proved otherwise. It was soaking into Lance's skin.

"What the hell?" Keith whispered to himself.

"Red?" That was Pidge. The coms must've picked up his comment of confusion.

He took a breath. "Something's happening. I'm not really sure what."

"What's Blue's status?"

Keith lifted the soaked piece of gauze from Lance's hip. His eyes went wide. "It's… it's…"

"Red?" Hunk huffed. The worry in his voice was poignantly clear causing Keith to swallow and finally find his words.

"It's gone. The wound is gone."

Any trace that Lance had been shot had vanished. Not even a scar remained. The only reminder was the blood. Pidge was screeching through the coms for him to explain what was going on and he was about to when a groan passed the lips of their fallen teammate. He abandoned the now useless gauze and scrambled to Lance's head grabbing his shoulders. It was during these types of situations that touching others really wasn't an issue.

"Blue!"

Lance stirred, slowly rolling his head to the side, brows knitting together.

"Blue!" Keith repeated.

This time his eyes squeezed even tighter as if to block out a bright light.

He shook his friend's shoulders slightly. "Come on. I need you to open your eyes."

Lance's eyes fluttered open for a brief moment before slipping closed once more. "Keith…"

So much relief was flooding Keith's system he didn't even care that Lance whispered his name. "I'm here buddy. Just hang on, we'll get you out of here."

A ghost of a smile tugged on Lance's lips. "We… we're a good team."

Keith smiled. That was one of the first things Lance had said to him after their first team up mission. It's kind of become the pair's catch phrase. When one got seriously injured, they would say it to let the other know everything was okay. When one is feeling stressed, homesick, or anything along those lines, the other would usually say it during a heart-to-heart conversation (those happen more often they they'd ever admit to the team).

So needless to say Keith was on top of the world right now.

Lance had succumbed to the pull of unconsciousness, breath returning to normal. Fast, heavy footsteps could be heard in the storage building. Keith tensed for a moment, turning his head before recognizing it was Hunk and Shiro. He looked back to Lance and smiled.

Their family would not be mourning today.


	12. Weeping in Secrets

**Author's Notes: Been a while hasn't it? Not an exciting chapter (sorry), but we are actually getting close to the big finale. Wohoo! Anyways, I'm trying to write a lot before school really picks up since this is going to be a rough semester. I'll do my best to keep writing, but you know how things are. I do have the beginnings of a couple other fics posted if you wanted to keep busy.**

 **As always... Enjoy :)**

* * *

 **Chapter 12:** **Weeping in Secrets**

"So who's gonna do it?" Hunk looked around the dark observation room. All of Voltron was present except for Coran and Lance who was still recovering. His wound had healed (by some miracle), but he was still pretty weak after the whole ordeal.

"I can," Keith declared.

Allura quickly stepped in. "That's probably not the best idea."

"Why not?"

"No offense Keith," Pidge began, "but you have a tendency to… go off the rail in these types of situations."

The man looks like he wants to argue, but ultimately resides. "Fine."

Shiro placed a hand on his shoulder and looked around their huddle. "Anyone else?"

Pidge shrugged. "I'd rather watch."

He chuckled. "Alright, Hunk?"

Said man immediately held up his hands in surrender. "No way. I hate interrogations. And I'm not very good at them."

"I should do it," Allura volunteered. "He might recognize Shiro as Champion."

Shiro brought a hand to his chin in thought as he looked through the one-way glass. "I don't think so. He looks too young to have been to any of my fights and he didn't say anything on the plane ride back." He sighed. "The guy was too busy bragging about 'killing' Lance."

Eyes strayed towards the window. The man, Levi Growden, was currently sitting on one side of a table facing the closed door on the right side of the room. The furniture was arranged so no one's back was to the one-way window. His smug, bored expression was starting to get on everyone's nerves. It hadn't taken long to realize his mistake in judgement. Even with a burlap bag over his head, Growden spent hours practically singing about his 'accomplishment' as an unconscious Lance was lying ten feet away. There was an unspoken agreement between the whole team not to correct him.

"Besides," Pidge said, "if you're worried about recognition, then Shiro should go. There is a zero percent chance a Network soldier doesn't know who you are Allura."

Everyone mulled that over for a moment before Hunk spoke up. "So the question is do we go down the path where we know all the facts or take the risk?"

Shiro eyed Allura with a rare glint of mischief. "Best two out of three?"

The Altean straightened meeting the challenge with a smirk of her own. "You're on."

* * *

"Did I miss it?"

"Lance!" Hunk yelped in surprise. "What are you doing up? You…"

"…should stay right here and enjoy the show? I couldn't agree more!"

Allura placed a hand on his shoulder and offered a warm smile. "I'm glad to see you up and about. How are you feeling?"

Lance shrugged shoving his hands into his jacket pockets and looked down sheepishly. "Alright, I guess. Still tired. I don't remember much after getting shot."

Keith huffed in exasperation. "You're kidding, right?"

All heads whipped to the hothead as he sent a mild glare towards Lance. Confusion filled his half-asleep mind.

"Uh, no"

"But you were awake! You even talked to me!"

"Nope. Don't remember."

"Woah," Pidge exclaimed, "serious déjà vu."

Lance chuckled at the mention of his and Keith's so called "bonding moment" the first time Lance had gotten seriously injured on a mission (something he also doesn't remember). He was about to tease the Mullet Man even more before realizing someone was missing from the observation room. "Wait. Where's Shiro?"

"He went to grab something for the interrogation," Hunk explained. "He should be back any minute."

"So Shiro's doing it? Oh man this is going to be awesome!"

On cue, the interrogation room door swung open as Shiro stepped inside holding a simple manila folder. Their leader's face was carefully constructed into a blank expression as everyone else tried to figure out what tactic he was going to use. Shiro immediately sat down in the open chair barely giving Growden a second look. He opened the folder, holding it to his face and began silently reading. Upon closer inspection, the papers were all blank.

Ah ha. The 'silently ignoring the obvious' tactic. Smart move. This man was a talker and would instinctively fill the silence. It's just human nature. It seemed to be working since Growden's smug expression and confidence wavered after only ten seconds as he shifted uncomfortably in his seat. And that delay in reaction quelled the fear of Shiro being recognized as Champion.

Growden crossed his arms and nearly glared at Shiro (they didn't handcuff him to the table in order to get a better read on his body language). "Aren't you supposed to be asking questions?"

Shiro still completely ignored the man. Except for one small tell. Growden's eyes flickered downward noticing the clenching of Shiro's jaw. Lance pulled his brows together in confusion. It normally took way more than a simple question to get him to react like that unless… he did it on purpose. Okay, maybe he'd guess the tactic wrong.

The Galran's confidence seemed to return slightly. "Aw, is the big bad man upset?" He leaned back unnecessarily puffing his chest. "It's not because of what happened to what's-his-face is it? Blue, I think? Man, you should've seen the look on the others guy's face when that bullet tore right through…"

Out of nowhere, Shiro slammed the closed folder onto the table with a loud _bang_. Everyone, including Growden, startled at the sudden sound. But he had no time to recover before Shiro stood in a flash and reached across the table. Taking a handful of the Galran's shirt, he closed the distance between their noses to mere inches.

The surprised look on Growden's face would've made those in the observation room laugh, but their full attention was glued to their teammate. He's standing tall forcing his captive to gaze upward. Shiro's face is perfectly constructed into the calm, blank façade Voltron has come to know over the years. But his demeanor was betrayed by his absolute livid eyes. It's a special kind of anger that's borderline feral and has only made appearances a few times before; all nightmares of memory.

It's not something anyone can fake.

Both men had stilled for a brief moment of silence before Shiro spoke in a deathly calm tone. "You want to finish that statement?" Growden visibly gulped and wisely stayed silent. "There is _one_ reason you're still breathing. You better make yourself useful right now."

The poor man was shaking so bad he could hardly speak. "You… you're b..bluff..ffing."

Shiro tightened his grip on Growden's shirt and nearly growled. "You hurt my team – killed one of our own – so unless you want me returning the favor you will tell me everything you know about the Galran Network."

The man couldn't agree fast enough (not that anyone could blame him). With a slight shove, Shiro released his hold and Growden plopped back into his chair. Shiro sat down as well, anger somewhat subsided.

"How did you get involved with the Network?"

"Well," the Galran began, "I've known about them my whole life. My folks were supply runners along America's west coast, but I didn't join until after getting kicked out of boot camp. My father introduced me to a man named Morvak and eventually I became part of security teams all over the world. The factory in Saudi Arabia was just my most recent stop."

"Where else were you stationed?"

"Lot's of places. It's hard to keep track, but I spent most of my time in Europe."

"Any specifics worth mentioning?"

Growden tensed, eyes glancing sideways. "I… I'm not sure."

Shiro only cocked an eyebrow. The silence urged Growden to continue. "I mean, I'm never told what's inside the places I'm assigned. Just a position to hold and potential threats."

"Okay," Shiro leaned forward, "let's start with something else. What do you know about quintessence?"

He shrugged (the shaking hands gave away his nervousness though). "Not much. Only that it's the main source of fuel the Network uses at major sites of operation, but it has to be processed first."

"Where does it come from?"

"I don't know." Shiro eyed him warily deciding whether to believe him. "I swear I don't know."

"Alright. There were trucks at the factory. What was in them?"

"I never saw directly, but a fellow guard said whatever it was smelled like shit."

Lance tensed. He might not remember specifics, but the vague memory of a horrible smell after he was shot did resurface.

Keith placed a hand on his shoulder. "What's up?"

Lance explained his thoughts and Keith wrinkled his nose in response. "Oh yeah. It definitely stank." He looked to Allura. "Any idea what that stuff was?"

She looked deep in thought. "My father's notes on quintessence described an unpleasant odor of the stuff. Coran is still testing the sample you brought back, but it wouldn't be a surprise if it was quintessence."

Everyone let that sink in while returning their attention to the interrogation. Shiro's face was still mostly blank, but his pinched brows revealed confusion.

"Any idea where the trucks came from?"

Growden sighed. "I guess it's your lucky day, huh. I, uh, I looked at the shipping reports when I was making my rounds." He chuckled darkly. "You have any idea what the Network would do to me if they found out I'm talking to you?"

"I can imagine." Shiro's tone made the room's temperature drop five degrees. Lance has always believed Shiro remembered more of his imprisonment than he let on. No one ever pushed for details. To be honest, Lance didn't really want to know.

"I doubt that," Growden mumbled. "Anyways, the trucks all came from Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Before that, the cargo was flown in from a private airport in Sweden. Near Asteby.

"How do you know it's a private airport."

"The report said the airport was owned by a company that's a known Network front; Algar Private Shipping Co."

The same company who owns the docks in Tanzania.

* * *

"Nice work in there Shiro," Pidge beamed as said man walked into the observation room.

"Thanks," he turned to Allura. "Any word from Coran yet?"

"Yes. He just called in fact. The findings from the sample are strong indicators the substance that healed Lance was a form of quintessence."

"Growden said the shipments at the factory came from Sweden. That should be our next stop," Keith declared.

Most nodded in agreement. Except Shiro who looked deep in thought once more.

Hunk was the first to notice. "Shiro?"

He raised his head. "Sorry. We definitely should check it out, but it might be better to get some more information first. I have a contact who might be able to help. Don't want to waste time on a wild goose chase."

"Fair point," Lance chimed. "In the meantime, I'm gonna kick back with a lemonade or space juice. Ya know, a little R&R."

Keith rolled his eyes. "I still don't get why you call it space juice. It regular fruit punch"

"That's not a terrible idea Lance," Allura agreed. "The transport for Growden isn't arriving until tomorrow and this place is locked up tight. Everyone should get some rest while you can." Her face turned sour. "I have a feeling big things are coming."


	13. The Most Difficult Thing

**Author's Notes: (*whispers* please don't be mad at me...) Hello all! So I'm gonna continue like it hasn't been months since the last update, cool? Cool. This chapter is a bit shorter than usual, but I wanted to challenge myself. "What is the challenge?" you're asking: well it's a dialogue-only chapter. I had some fun with this one and I hope you all like it.**

 **I can't believe this thing has 13 chapters already and we're actually getting to the end of the plot (sort of). This chapter is like the 'calm before the storm', but still moves the plot along. Not gonna lie this was hard to write (emotions are hard). Please review and let me know what you think!**

 **And as always... Enjoy :)**

* * *

 **Chapter 13: The Most Difficult Thing**

 _RING, RING, RING!_

"Hello?"

 _"Hey, it's me."_

"Really? I couldn't tell. Thought you were some guy selling a big summer blowout."

 _"Shut it, Buzz Lightyear. You love my accent."_

"Yeah, yeah. Did you find anything?"

 _"…"_

"Sven?"

 _"What the hell have you and that team of yours been up to?"_

"What do you mean?"

 _"What I mean is the place you asked me to look for? I believe I found it and it's crawling with Galra. More than I've ever seen in one place. Whatever you've stumbled upon… it's big. So, what it is?"_

"You know I can't tell you that."

 _"Stop walking your cat around the hot porridge. I seriously risked my neck this time."_

"…Fine. We've come across information on a major project that the Network will use to threaten major countries into submission."

 _"…Uh… that's, uh… that's definitely… concerning."_

"Tell me about it. So were you able to find anything else?"

 _"Well, the security was basically impenetrable so I couldn't get inside. However, I did manage to get a decent view point from another office building about half a mile away. Those high-tech binoculars you sent me really came in handy by the way."_

"You can thank our tech geniuses for those."

 _"I will if I ever get to meet them."_

"Maybe one day."

 _"Anyways, there were some huge names going in and out of the building. I'm talking Prorok, Trugg, Ranveig; a lot of the high ranking Galra we know about. But they weren't even the most surprising part._ She _was here."_

"… Are you sure?"

 _"Absolutely. She fit the description to a tee; long white hair, dark robes, all of it."_

"Do you know if she's still there?"

 _"She left yesterday and hasn't been back since."_

"Alright. With everything we know so far, this could definitely be the place."

 _"You think this is where the major project is being held?"_

"I don't know. We'll just have to see."

 _"Okay. I'll call if I hear anything else. Be careful out there."_

"You too. Things are going to get difficult real soon. Make sure you watch your back."

 _"There's no cow on the ice. You know I'll fight all the way into the tile."_

"…"

" _Shiro?"_

"I have no idea what you just said."

 _"And you never will. Vi ses, Shiro."_

"Vi ses."

 _CLICK._

* * *

 _START RECORDING_

"Hi, Mom, hi, Dad. It's me, Lance. I'm here… somewhere, I can't really tell you where. I, um, uh, don't really know what to say. I miss you guys. I miss you guys a lot. I know I left with basically no explanation, but, uh, I couldn't really tell you then and I can't really tell you now and I'm sorry. You guys deserve better than that.

"But what I'm doing is important. I'm helping a lot of people and I can't really regret that. I hope you can understand." _*sniff*_

"So, um, that's really all I have to say. Oh, tell Veronica I'm super proud of her and what she's done at the Garrison. And… and tell Sophia I still have my jacket. Just… just tell everyone I miss them and I lo… love them.

"Hopefully I can come home soon. I love you guys."

 _END RECORDING_

* * *

 _START RECORDING_

"Hey guys. Hunk here. Um, how's it going? * _sigh_ * I know…I know it's been a while since I left and… since any of you have heard from me, but I got permission to send this to you before… sorry. I can't really get into that.

"But just so you know I keep all of you with me every day. You guys inspire me in ways you don't even realize. And I can't wait to be back home. I'm not really sure when that'll be, but when I get there, I really want Uncle Filo to make some of his amazing pork lau lau. I can almost taste it now.

"Anyways, I miss you guys so much and I hope to see you soon. I love you."

 _END RECORDING_

* * *

Hey Mom,

It's me, Katie. I'm alive. I know what you must be thinking. 'Why is my tech genius of a daughter using pen and paper to send a message?' Honestly it just feels right. I guess I wanted to give you something physical to hold onto until I get back.

Mom, I'm so sorry I left without saying goodbye. I think of you every day. And Dad and Matt. I haven't stopped looking for them. I can feel in my heart they're alive and I will continue to look for them until both are brought home safe.

I know you probably have a million questions running through your head right now and I wish I could answer them honestly. But it's better this way. This way you'll be safe (don't give me that look).

If everything works out, I'll be home soon. With Dad and Matt. Just please be careful and take care of yourself. Give Bae Bae a kiss for me. I love you.

Katie

* * *

 _RING, RING, RING!_

 _"This is Gilmore."_

"Hello Colonel. It's Allura Parrish."

 _"Ms. Parrish! It's wonderful to hear from you. How have you been?"_

"It's had it's moments, but we're still fighting."

 _"I'm glad to hear that. What can I help you with?"_

"Do you remember our last conversation?"

 _"I, uh…"_

"It's alright Shay. This line is secure. No one can listen if they wanted to."

 _*sigh* "Alright. Yes, I do remember."_

"Does your offer still stand?"

 _"Of course. Always."_

"Wonderful. Because I believe what is going to happen next will require all the help we can get. How many… followers do you have?"

 _"Basically everyone under my command. It's not much compared to Colonel Vakala, but enough to make a difference."_

"Any special skills worth mentioning?"

 _"A few. Two snipers, a troop of I.E.D. specialists, plus some strategists and mechanics I think would come in handy. Everyone else has standard trai… Well, that might not be exactly true."_

"How so?"

 _"Well, honestly, my troops aren't assigned many missions, so some of my First Sergeants have devised training not found anywhere else. Relatively, we may not have much field experience, but we make up for it with exceptional hand-to-hand and firearms skills. My troops are battle ready will willing to fight."_

"Forgive my asking, but if your men and women are so skilled why haven't they been given more missions?"

 _"Politics, grudges against me; take your pick. I've learned not to ask that question to my superiors."_

"Very well. How soon can you gather everyone?"

 _"They're spread all around the globe, but I can safely do it within a couple weeks. The more careful I am the longer it will take for my superiors to notice."_

"Do you have an estimate on that?"

 _"It's hard to say. But I believe with your team's assistance, the required paper trail can be buried deep giving us enough time to coordinate and plan whatever it is you have in mind."_

"That's all I ask. I'll put you in contact with Green. She'll be able to help with the trail."

 _"Alright but, uh, can you tell me exactly what I'm getting into?"_

"I suppose you deserve that much. We've found something that, if not stopped, the Galra will use and be able to obtain total control of all governments in the world. We're taking the fight to them before that happens and putting an end to this war."

 _"… Wow."_

"I understand it's a lot to ask and if you don't wish to help."

 _"No, I will. And I know every one of my soldiers will too. If what you found can end the Galran threat, then any consequences we face will be worth it."_

"You have no idea what that means to me. Thank you."

 _"No, thank you and your team. Without you, the Network would've conquered the world a long time ago. It's time to put an end to it all."_

"I couldn't have said it better myself. Green will be in touch shortly. Be careful."

 _"I will. Goodbye Allura."_

"Goodbye Shay."

 _CLICK._

* * *

"Hey, Dad. Been a while, huh? Your tombstone looks a pretty dirty right now. I guess that's my fault. Thing have just been so crazy lately I haven't had time to visit, but, uh…

"Something big is going down soon. Something that can finally end the war and put the Network out of business for good and I…

 _*sigh*_ "I've learned over the years the most difficult thing to do is to say goodbye and I've never been good at it. But I wanted to come here one last time, just in case… you know.

"But it's okay, if it does happen, because I won't be alone. I was alone and lost for the longest time after you died, but then Shiro came along. At first, I didn't want to get too close to him, to have someone that could be taken away, but he was a stubborn bastard. He reminds me of you.

"My worst fear of being… abandoned came true when he was taken by the Galra. But he found his way back. And since then I've found a new family. One that won't ever abandon me under any circumstance. They would do anything for me. They showed me it's okay to let my walls down. That it's okay to let others take care of me. I… I think you'd like them.

"I'm not saying you left me on purpose, even though I felt that way for a while. But… I finally understood and forgave you a long time ago. Being a firefighter means putting other's needs before your own and you did just that. You're a hero.

 _*sniff*_ "I guess what I'm trying to say is… Voltron has taught me a lot. And I might not have noticed it at first, but it was _you_ who taught me how to help those who need it. Without thought of my own wellbeing. And for that I wanted to say thank you. It's a lesson I will carry for the rest of my life.

 _*sniff*_ "I should get going. The others will be wondering where I am. I'll see you la…

"Goodbye, Dad."


	14. Soldiers and Rogues

**Author's Notes: Sooo... been a while. Sorry about that. Been an absolutely CRAZY semester at school that I haven't had any time to write until now. I'm hoping I can work on this and other stories more, but we'll have to wait and see.**

 **Anyway, we are on the final leg of the story and the finale will be coming up soon. There's a lot of exposition here going over the more important points so stick with me. Also, a while back in another chapter there were texting names. A comment requested the rest of the crew's texting names so here they are. And you remember the characters from the the prologue?... Me neither I had to look up their names.**

 **As always... Enjoy :)**

* * *

 **Chapter 14: Soldiers and Rogues**

 ** _Mr. Sunshine:_** Are we sure about this?

 ** _Princess:_** We don't really have a choice.

 ** _Mr. Sunshine:_** I know. But still…

 ** _Sharpshooter:_** Not a fan of it either bug guy

 ** _Mullet:_** None of us are

 ** _Winter Soldier:_** Alright, that's enough. We already debated this a few weeks ago.

 ** _Pidgeon:_** Is it bad I can _hear_ the Dad Voice?

 ** _Sharpshooter:_** Nope I hear it too

 ** _Mr. Sunshine:_** Same here

 ** _Mullet:_** Its hard it miss

 ** _Winter Soldier:_** I do not have a 'Dad Voice'.

 ** _Winter Soldier:_** We're getting off track. Allura, back me up here?

 ** _Princess:_** Shiro's right.

 ** _Princess:_** It was more his Commander Voice. Dad Voice appears during times of emotional stress.

 ***Princess** ** _changed_** **Winter Soldier** ** _'s name to_** **The Old Man***

 ** _The Old Man:_** OH COME ON!

 ** _Pidgeon:_** Hahahaha good one Allura!

 ** _The Old Man:_** I'm not the old man! Coran is.

 ** _Sharpshooter:_** He doesn't count

 ** _Pidgeon:_** Coran is timeless. You don't compare

 ** _The Old Man:_** Why do I even put up with you all?

 ** _Pidgeon:_** Because we're your children and you love us

 ** _Mr. Sunshine:_** There's no point in denying it Shiro

 ** _Sharpshooter:_** You're stuck with us for all time

 ** _Mullet:_** Just accept it

 ** _The Old Man:_** I wouldn't have it any other way.

 ** _Princess:_** Now there's the Dad Voice

 ** _Gorgeous Man:_** Sorry to interrupt, but are you ready, Allura?

 ** _Princess:_** As I'll ever be

 ** _The Old Man:_** You'll do great. Everyone in position?

 ** _Pidgeon:_** Ready to go

 ** _Mr. Sunshine:_** Let's do this

 ** _Sharpshooter:_** Just wanna remind everyone this is the biggest risk we've ever taken

 ** _Mullet:_** I know. Trying not to think about it

 ** _Princess:_** This will work. I have a good feeling about this.

 ** _Pidgeon:_** Wait

 ** _Pidgeon:_** Are we gonna ignore that Keith just _agreed_ with Lance?

 ** _Mullet:_** Shut it gremlin

 ***Sharpshooter** ** _changed_** **Pidgeon** ** _'s name to_** **Gremlin***

 ** _The Old Man:_** Really guys?

 ** _Gremlin:_** Sorry not sorry

 ** _Gorgeous Man:_** Alright team. It's time.

 ** _Mullet:_** Ok I'm ready

 ** _Sharpshooter:_** Ready

 ** _Princess:_** Let's go.

* * *

Allura was uncharacteristically nervous; nearly shaking in her boots. Being the center of attention during large meetings was nothing new to the Altean, but this one… this one was different.

"You'll do great."

She looked up to meet Shay's reassuring smile and tried offering one in return. But it was far from reaching her eyes. "Thank you, but it's not me I'm worries about."

She scanned their 'base of operations' which was no more than an abandoned building that held a factory at some point. It wouldn't have been Voltron's first choice (too many security risks for comfort), but Shiro's Swedish contact had found the place while spying of the Galra and there wasn't time to find another hideout. Currently any space not filled with equipment was being occupied by Col. Gilmore's troop waiting to be addressed by Allura.

"My team," she continued, "we don't enjoy putting others in danger. Every single person here is at high risk. If we fail… if we fail Voltron's identity will be public knowledge and thousands of people will become Galran targets.

"However," Shay said interrupting the spiral of self-doubt, "if we succeed, the Galran Network will be wiped out and will never threaten another living soul." The taller woman placed a firm hand on Allura's shoulder making her meet the warm honey-colored eyes. "I know you're worried about my troops, but they understand what they're getting into. They want to see the Network fall just as much as you and me. The best thing for you to do it stick to your plan and everything will work out."

Allura felt the tensions throughout her body begin to dispense. "I can see why you're such and effective leader."

"So are you."

The smile Allura gave held more than the confidence boost that was lacking moments ago, but also thankfulness for the support the Colonial had given. For believing the Galra could be taken down. For trusting Voltron to do so.

Shay gestured towards the large group of people. "So, shall we begin?"

* * *

"Riley, look look look!" Sam gripped her forearm creasing the uniform nearly whispering in excitement. It felt like the limb would sever considering how hard the guy was shaking it.

She wrestled her arm back. "Damn it, Sam, what?"

"Over there!"

Riley followed to where he was pointing. Col. Gilmore stood off to the side of a small raised platform, hopefully ready to offer more detail as to why she gathered all these people in Sweden.

"Yeah, it's the Colonial. So what?"

Sam shook his head, eyes wider than a dinner plate. "Not Gilmore. Who's she talking to."

The woman most prominent feature was her long, snowy white hair which complimented her darker skin beautifully. Even from this distance, she practically radiated the type of confidence and elegance that only comes naturally. There was only one person this woman could be.

"Is that…?"

"Oh yeah."

Riley was still in awe as Gilmore stepped onto the platform. The large warehouse fell silent instantly.

"Thank you all for coming," she began. "I would like to start off by informing you that this gathering was orchestrated behind my superior's backs. The consequences could be dire if caught. However the rewards could mean the safety of many world governments. If any of you wish to not participate speak now. This is the last chance to step down."

Hushed conversations filled the room. Riley and Sam glanced at each other and knew they were on the same page. The possibility of being caught put apprehension deep in their guts. But the Colonial has proven time and time again she is someone deserving of blind trust. This time would be no different.

Not a single person spoke.

Gilmore smiled obviously very pleased with her troop's loyalty. "Alright then. In that case I am handing command over to Allura Parrish." She gestured to the side as said person joined her on the platform. "The floor is yours Ms. Parrish."

The Altean gave a small head bow before turning to the murmuring audience. "Thank you Colonial. Firstly, I'd like to thank you all for your loyalty and bravery. Not many would have made the same choice."

Riley couldn't help the feeling of pride swelling in her chest.

"As many of you know, I am the commanding officer of the elite task force known as Voltron. However, you don't know why we exist."

Allura stepped to the sided flicking her wrist. On command, an impressive hologram sparked into existence right in the center of the platform. Many people gasp at the show of advanced technology. The hologram showed an image of a symbol printed in many history books across the United States.

"This is the symbol of the Galra; a race of vile people the public believes no longer exists. But thanks to Colonial Gilmore, all of you should know that is far from the truth. Over the past several decades, the Galra have slowly woven together a network capable of infiltrated multiple governments all around the planet; including our own."

A picture of an intimidating-looking man popped up. "The network is run by this man, Zarkon. He's been in hiding since the genocide and gaining power and influence on a daily basis. Now, they are stronger than ever before. That is Voltron's mission; to prevent the Galran Network from seizing total control. Recently we received intel about a project headed by scientist Honerva Haggar named the Komar. It's a machine designed to drain an energy source known as quintessence from living things, including people, eventually killing them. A plan has been discovered that intends to use the Komar to threaten major governments throughout the world into submission."

Absolute silence draped over the audience. It was as if time itself had slowed to a crawl as minds processed the information. Riley had known the Galra were a potential threat to society; she never knew the extent until now.

Allura broke the silence, her voice an explosion by comparison.

"It's a lot to comprehend and I wish the news wasn't so dire. But the time to act is now. We, together, have an opportunity to save countless innocents and finally take the Network down for good. My team has created the foundations of a plan and we need your help in finalizing and executing. The two objectives are destroying the Komar threat and gather intel proving Zarkon's involvement and the extent of his power. Effectively cutting off the head of the snake." She paused attempting to give reassurance with an understanding smile. "Now that's out of the way, I'm sure you have many questions. So feel free to ask away. I'll do my best."

Immediately, no less than a dozen hands bolted skyward. Chatter filled the air quickly rising in volume. The two friends observed as the Altean failed the quiet everyone. It wasn't until two high-pitched whistles, seemingly from nowhere, echoed against the walls did conversations begin to die out.

"Thank you," Allura sighed. "We'll start with you."

She gestured to a taller woman. Riley only met her once during basic training, but Rizavi's upbeat attitude was extremely infectious.

"Uh, hi Ms. Parrish, Ma'am. You said we're working alongside Voltron. If so, why aren't they here?"

"Who says they're not?"

The reaction was instantaneous. Everyone searched the crowd, including Riley and Sam. Most of the people here were complete strangers. She only recognized a handful of faces and even less names. Honestly, anyone could be a member of Voltron at this point.

Most of the question after that involved clarification on the Galran Network or the step for the days to come. Surprisingly, minimal questions were asked about Voltron itself. It wasn't until the Komar was brought up things got interesting.

"Unfortunately, I'm not a tech genius and have a hard time understanding details." She paused, taking a moment to look directly at someone within the crowd. Riley strained her neck in an attempt to figure out who it was. Before she could, two people from the front row casually stepped onto the platform. The first was shorter than average. Uncontrolled light-brown hair and large glasses bridged their nose. That's all riley noticed before her attention was drawn elsewhere. The other guy was the complete opposite; tall, sturdy build, darker skin. A yellow headband adorned his forehead above a shy smile.

Allura pointed to the first person. "Green here is the computer genius of Voltron. Her hacking skills are unparalleled as well as her kills in combat. Gold," gesturing to the taller man (fitting name considering the headband), "is our mechanical engineer and explosives expert."

To say shock had taken over was an understatement. It wasn't everyday not one but two Voltron Elite revealed themselves. Brian would be livid if he ever found out about this.

"I understand this is breaching our protocols," Allura continued, "however, this is a high risk mission that requires such tactics. Time is short so back to the question at hand. Green?"

"Alright people. So the concept of the Komar is pretty simple…"

Green sketched on the hologram to help her explanation. Most of the details were still lost to Riley.

"… the machine's range covers the entire globe so the Network can threaten anyone they want with ease. Unfortunately, we don't know the most important specifications."

"And that's what make destroying it so difficult," Gold added. "With that amount of concentrated energy, simply blowing it up could have more destructive power than the atomic bomb."

"Which would be bad."

"And why we need your help," Allura added, stepping forward once more. "Over the next few days we are surveying, strategizing, and training. If you have an idea about the plan, I want to hear it no matter what." Her gaze rose slightly to the space beyond the captive audience. "Behind you stands the final members of Voltron; Blue, Red and our field leader, Black."

Heads whipped around in a flash. Blue held the demeanor of a showman; oozing confidence, relaxed posture, raised chin and a bright smile painted across his face. Red seemed more closed off. The crossed arms and slight glare dared any willing to challenge. Black on the other hand was impossible to read. Expression completely neutral yet radiated leadership to where Riley immediately trusted him.

"They will give you your assignments."

Riley turned just in time to witness a small spark lighting her crystal eyes.

"Let's get to work."

* * *

 **Author's Notes: Please please please favorite and review. I want to know what you guys think and comments give me life.**

 **You can always message me on Tumblr at the username _quinnarrow_. See ya next time!**


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